Sample records for groundwater flow radionuclide

Using radionuclides is a novel approach to characterize fluids of groundwaterflow systems and understand their mixing. Particularly, in regional discharge areas, where different order flow systems convey waters with different temperature, composition and redox-state to the discharge zone. Radium and uranium are redox-sensitive parameters, which causes fractionation along groundwaterflow paths. Discharging waters of regional flow systems are characterized by elevated total dissolved solid content (TDS), temperature and by reducing conditions, and therefore with negligible uranium content, whereas local flow systems have lower TDS and temperature and represent oxidizing environments, and therefore their radium content is low. Due to the short transit time, radon may appear in local systems' discharge, where its source is the soil zone. However, our studies revealed the importance of FeOOH precipitates as local radon sources throughout the adsorption of radium transported by the thermal waters of regional flow systems. These precipitates can form either by direct oxidizing of thermal waters at discharge, or by mixing of waters with different redox state. Therefore elevated radon content often occurs in regional discharge areas as well. This study compares the results of geochemical studies in three thermal karst areas in Hungary, focusing on radionuclides as natural tracers. In the Buda Thermal Karst, the waters of the distinct discharge areas are characterized by different temperature and chemical composition. In the central discharge area both lukewarm (20-35°C, 770-980 mg/l TDS) and thermal waters (40-65°C, 800-1350 mg/l TDS), in the South only thermal water discharge (33-43°C, 1450-1700 mg/l TDS) occur. Radionuclides helped to identify mixing of fluids and to infer the temperature and chemical composition of the end members for the central discharge area. For the southern discharge zone mixing components could not be identified, which suggests different cave

Natural radionuclides and physicochemical parameters have been evaluated in groundwater samples from boreholes belonging to the drinking water supply system of the Toluca City, Mexico. The results obtained for radon and radium, together with the physicochemical parameters of the studied samples, indicate a fast and efficient recharge pattern. The presence of a local and a regional groundwaterflows was also observed. The local flow belongs to shallower water, recognized by its low radon content and dissolved ions, as compared with the regional, deeper groundwaterflow with a longer residence time.

The Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) conducted a collaboration program Phase II with the Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) from 1994 to 1998. The program was started to contribute the establishment of safety assessment methodology for the geological disposal of high-level radioactive wastes on the basis of the results from the Phase I program (1987-1993). The Phase II program consisted of following experimental items: (1) radionuclide migration experiments for quarried blocks (1m x 1m x 1m) of granite with natural fracture under in-situ geochemical conditions at 240 m level of Underground Research Laboratory of AECL; (2) study on the effects of dissolved organic materials extracted from natural groundwaters on radionuclide migration; (3) study on groundwaterflow using environmental isotopes at two different geologic environments; (4) development of groundwaterflow and radionuclide transport model for heterogeneous geological media. The mobility of radionuclides was retarded in the fracture by the deep geological conditions and the fracture paths. The groundwater humic substances with high molecular size were enhanced for the mobility of radionuclides in the sand and granitic media due to the complexation. The application of {sup 36}Cl and {sup 129}I for the analysis on the long-term groundwaterflow can be validated on the basis of investigation at the URL site. Moreover, the geostatistical model for the analysis on groundwaterflow and radionuclide migration was developed, and was able to describe the groundwaterflow and the migration of environmental tracers at AECL sites. This report summaries the results of the Phase II program between JAERI and AECL. (author)

A set of groundwaterflow and transport models were created for the Central Testing Area of Frenchman Flat at the former Nevada Test Site to investigate the long-term consequences of a radionuclide migration experiment that was done between 1975 and 1990. In this experiment, radionuclide migration was induced from a small nuclear test conducted below the water table by pumping a well 91 m away. After radionuclides arrived at the pumping well, the contaminated effluent was discharged to an unlined ditch leading to a playa where it was expected to evaporate. However, recent data from a well near the ditch and results from detailed models of the experiment by LLNL personnel have convincingly demonstrated that radionuclides from the ditch eventually reached the water table some 220 m below land surface. The models presented in this paper combine aspects of these detailed models with concepts of basin-scale flow to estimate the likely extent of contamination resulting from this experiment over the next 1,000 years. The models demonstrate that because regulatory limits for radionuclide concentrations are exceeded only by tritium and the half-life of tritium is relatively short (12.3 years), the maximum extent of contaminated groundwater has or will soon be reached, after which time the contaminated plume will begin to shrink because of radioactive decay. The models also show that past and future groundwater pumping from water supply wells within Frenchman Flat basin will have negligible effects on the extent of the plume.

Recent field studies have led to the discovery of trace quantities of plutonium originating from the BENHAM underground nuclear test in two groundwater observation wells on Pahute Mesa at the Nevada Test Site. These observation wells are located 1.3 km from the BENHAM underground nuclear test and approximately 300 m from the TYBO underground nuclear test. In addition to plutonium, several other conservative (e.g. tritium) and reactive (e.g. cesium) radionuclides were found in both observation wells. The highest radionuclide concentrations were found in a well sampling a welded tuff aquifer more than 500m above the BENHAM emplacement depth. These measurements have prompted additional investigations to ascertain the mechanisms, processes, and conditions affecting subsurface radionuclide transport in Pahute Mesa groundwater. This report describes an integrated modeling approach used to simulate groundwaterflow, radionuclide source release, and radionuclide transport near the BENHAM and TYBO underground nuclear tests on Pahute Mesa. The components of the model include a flow model at a scale large enough to encompass many wells for calibration, a source-term model capable of predicting radionuclide releases to aquifers following complex processes associated with nonisothermal flow and glass dissolution, and site-scale transport models that consider migration of solutes and colloids in fractured volcanic rock. Although multiple modeling components contribute to the methodology presented in this report, they are coupled and yield results consistent with laboratory and field observations. Additionally, sensitivity analyses are conducted to provide insight into the relative importance of uncertainty ranges in the transport parameters.

Uranium-series data for groundwater samples from the vicinity of the Nopal I uranium ore deposit are used to place constraints on radionuclide transport and hydrologic processes at this site, and also, by analogy, at Yucca Mountain. Decreasing uranium concentrations for wells drilled in 2003 suggest that groundwaterflow rates are low (< 10 m/yr). Field tests, well productivity, and uranium isotopic constraints also suggest that groundwaterflow and mixing is limited at this site. The uranium isotopic systematics for water collected in the mine adit are consistent with longer rock-water interaction times and higher uranium dissolution rates at the front of the adit where the deposit is located. Short-lived nuclide data for groundwater wells are used to calculate retardation factors that are on the order of 1,000 for radium and 10,000 to 10,000,000 for lead and polonium. Radium has enhanced mobility in adit water and fractures near the deposit.

The Yucca Flat-Climax Mine Corrective Action Unit (CAU) on the Nevada Test Site comprises 747 underground nuclear detonations, all but three of which were conducted in alluvial, volcanic, and carbonate rocks in Yucca Flat. The remaining three tests were conducted in the very different hydrogeologic setting of the Climax Mine granite stock located in Area 15 at the northern end of Yucca Flat. As part of the Corrective Action Investigation (CAI) for the Yucca Flat-Climax Mine CAU, models of groundwaterflow and radionuclide transport will be developed for Yucca Flat. However, two aspects of these CAU-scale models require focused modeling at the northern end of Yucca Flat beyond the capability of these large models. First, boundary conditions and boundary flows along the northern reaches of the Yucca Flat-Climax Mine CAU require evaluation to a higher level of detail than the CAU-scale Yucca Flat model can efficiently provide. Second, radionuclide fluxes from the Climax tests require analysis of flow and transport in fractured granite, a unique hydrologic environment as compared to Yucca Flat proper. This report describes the Climax Mine sub-CAU modeling studies conducted to address these issues, with the results providing a direct feed into the CAI for the Yucca Flat-Climax Mine CAU. Three underground nuclear detonations were conducted for weapons effects testing in the Climax stock between 1962 and 1966: Hard Hat, Pile Driver, and Tiny Tot. Though there is uncertainty regarding the position of the water table in the stock, it is likely that all three tests were conducted in the unsaturated zone. In the early 1980s, the Spent Fuel Test-Climax (SFT-C) was constructed to evaluate the feasibility of retrievable, deep geologic storage of commercial nuclear reactor wastes. Detailed mapping of fractures and faults carried out for the SFT-C studies greatly expanded earlier data sets collected in association with the nuclear tests and provided invaluable information for

Uranium-series data for groundwater samples from the Nopal I uranium ore deposit were obtained to place constraints on radionuclide transport and hydrologic processes for a nuclear waste repository located in fractured, unsaturated volcanic tuff. Decreasing uranium concentrations for wells drilled in 2003 are consistent with a simple physical mixing model that indicates that groundwater velocities are low ( approximately 10 m/y). Uranium isotopic constraints, well productivities, and radon systematics also suggest limited groundwater mixing and slow flow in the saturated zone. Uranium isotopic systematics for seepage water collected in the mine adit show a spatial dependence which is consistent with longer water-rock interaction times and higher uranium dissolution inputs at the front adit where the deposit is located. Uranium-series disequilibria measurements for mostly unsaturated zone samples indicate that (230)Th/(238)U activity ratios range from 0.005 to 0.48 and (226)Ra/(238)U activity ratios range from 0.006 to 113. (239)Pu/(238)U mass ratios for the saturated zone are 1000 times lower than the U mobility. Saturated zone mobility decreases in the order (238)U approximately (226)Ra > (230)Th approximately (239)Pu. Radium and thorium appear to have higher mobility in the unsaturated zone based on U-series data from fractures and seepage water near the deposit.

Uranium-series data for groundwater samples from the Nopal I uranium ore deposit were obtained to place constraints on radionuclide transport and hydrologic processes for a nuclear waste repository located in fractured, unsaturated volcanic tuff. Decreasing uranium concentrations for wells drilled in 2003 are consistent with a simple physical mixing model that indicates that groundwater velocities are low ({approx}10 m/y). Uranium isotopic constraints, well productivities, and radon systematics also suggest limited groundwater mixing and slow flow in the saturated zone. Uranium isotopic systematics for seepage water collected in the mine adit show a spatial dependence which is consistent with longer water-rock interaction times and higher uranium dissolution inputs at the front adit where the deposit is located. Uranium-series disequilibria measurements for mostly unsaturated zone samples indicate that {sup 230}Th/{sup 238}U activity ratios range from 0.005-0.48 and {sup 226}Ra/{sup 238}U activity ratios range from 0.006-113. {sup 239}Pu/{sup 238}U mass ratios for the saturated zone are <2 x 10{sup -14}, and Pu mobility in the saturated zone is >1000 times lower than the U mobility. Saturated zone mobility decreases in the order {sup 238}U{approx}{sup 226}Ra > {sup 230}Th{approx}{sup 239}Pu. Radium and thorium appear to have higher mobility in the unsaturated zone based on U-series data from fractures and seepage water near the deposit.

Numerical simulations are used to predict the migration of radionuclides from the disposal units at Material Disposal Area G through the vadose zone and into the main aquifer in support of a radiological performance assessment and composite analysis for the site. The calculations are performed with the finite element code, FEHM. The transport of nuclides through the vadose zone is computed using a three-dimensional model that describes the complex mesa top geology of the site. The model incorporates the positions and inventories of thirty-four disposal pits and four shaft fields located at Area G as well as those of proposed future pits and shafts. Only three nuclides, C-14, Tc-99, and I-129, proved to be of concern for the groundwater pathway over a 10,000-year period. The spatial and temporal flux of these three nuclides from the vadose zone is applied as a source term for the three-dimensional saturated zone model of the main aquifer that underlies the site. The movement of these nuclides in the aquifer to a downstream location is calculated, and aquifer concentrations are converted to doses. Doses related to aquifer concentrations are six or more orders of magnitude lower than allowable Department of Energy performance objectives for low-level radioactive waste sites. Numerical studies were used to better understand vadose-zone flow through the dry mesa-top environment at Area G. These studies helped define the final model used to model flow and transport through the vadose zone. The study of transient percolation indicates that a steady flow vadose-zone model is adequate for computing contaminant flux to the aquifer. The fracture flow studies and the investigation of the effect of basalt and pumice properties helped us define appropriate hydrologic properties for the modeling. Finally, the evaporation study helped to justify low infiltration rates.

Unique among all the contaminants that adversely affect surface and water quality, radioactive compounds pose a double threat from both toxicity and damaging radiation. The extreme energy potential of many of these materials makes them both useful and toxic. The unique properties of radioactive materials make them invaluable for medical, weapons, and energy applications. However, mining, production, use, and disposal of these compounds provide potential pathways for their release into the environment, posing a risk to both humans and wildlife. This chapter discusses the sources, uses, and regulation of radioactive compounds in the United States, biogeochemical processes that control mobility in the environment, examples of radionuclide contamination, and current work related to contaminated site remediation.

The study of coastal groundwater has recently surfaced as an active interdisciplinary area of research, driven foremost by its importance as a poorly quantified pathway for subsurface material transport into coastal ecosystems. Key issue in coastal groundwater research include a complete geochemical characterization of the groundwater(s); quantification of the kinetics of subsurface transport, including rock-water interactions; determination of groundwater ages; tracing of groundwater discharge into coastal waters using radiochemical fingerprints; and an assessment of the potential ecological impact of such subsurface flow to a reviving water body. For such applications, the isotopic systemics of select naturally occurring radionucludes in the U/Th series has proven to be particularly useful. These radionuclides (e.g., U, Th, Ram and Rn) are ubiquitous in all groundwaters ad are represented by several isotopes with widely different half-lives and chemistries (Figure 1). As a result, varied biogeochemical processes occurring over a broad range of time scales can be studied. In source rock, most U/Th series isotopes in secular equilibrium; that is, the rate of decay of a daughter isotope is equal to that of it radiogenic parent, and so will have equal activities (in this context, the specific activity is simply a measure of the amount of radioactivity per unit amount). In contrast, these nuclides exhibit strong fractionations within the surrounding groundwaters because of their respective physiochemical differences. Disequilibria in U/Th series radionuclides can thus be used to identify distinct water masses, quantify release rates from source rocks, assess groundwater migration rates, and assess groundwater discharge rates in coastal waters., Large isotopic variations also have the potential for providing precise fingerprints for groundwaters from specific aquifers and have been explored as a means for calculating groundwater ages and estuarine water mass transit

Since 1963, all United States nuclear tests have been conducted underground. A consequence of this testing has been the deposition of large amounts of radioactive material in the subsurface, sometimes in direct contact with groundwater. The majority of this testing occurred on the Nevada Test Site (NTS), but a limited number of experiments were conducted in other locations. One of these locations, Amchitka Island, Alaska is the subject of this report. Three underground nuclear tests were conducted on Amchitka Island. Long Shot was an 80-kiloton-yield test conducted at a depth of 700 meters (m) on October 29, 1965 (DOE, 2000). Milrow had an announced yield of about 1,000 kilotons, and was detonated at a depth of 1,220 m on October 2, 1969. Cannikin had an announced yield less than 5,000 kilotons, and was conducted at a depth of 1,790 m on November 6, 1971. The purpose of this work is to provide a portion of the information needed to conduct a human-health risk assessment of the potential hazard posed by the three underground nuclear tests on Amchitka Island. Specifically, the focus of this work is the subsurface transport portion, including the release of radionuclides from the underground cavities and their movement through the groundwater system to the point where they seep out of the ocean floor and into the marine environment. This requires a conceptual model of groundwaterflow on the island using geologic, hydrologic, and chemical information, a numerical model for groundwaterflow, a conceptual model of contaminant release and transport properties from the nuclear test cavities, and a numerical model for contaminant transport. Needed for the risk assessment are estimates of the quantity of radionuclides (in terms of mass flux) from the underground tests on Amchitka that could discharge to the ocean, the time of possible discharge, and the location in terms of distance from shoreline. The radionuclide data presented here are all reported in terms of normalized

Since 1963, all United States nuclear tests have been conducted underground. A consequence of this testing has been the deposition of large amounts of radioactive material in the subsurface, sometimes in direct contact with groundwater. The majority of this testing occurred on the Nevada Test Site (NTS), but a limited number of experiments were conducted in other locations. One of these locations, Amchitka Island, Alaska is the subject of this report. Three underground nuclear tests were conducted on Amchitka Island. Long Shot was an 80-kiloton-yield test conducted at a depth of 700 meters (m) on October 29, 1965 (DOE, 2000). Milrow had an announced yield of about 1,000 kilotons, and was detonated at a depth of 1,220 m on October 2, 1969. Cannikin had an announced yield less than 5,000 kilotons, and was conducted at a depth of 1,790 m on November 6, 1971. The purpose of this work is to provide a portion of the information needed to conduct a human-health risk assessment of the potential hazard posed by the three underground nuclear tests on Amchitka Island. Specifically, the focus of this work is the subsurface transport portion, including the release of radionuclides from the underground cavities and their movement through the groundwater system to the point where they seep out of the ocean floor and into the marine environment. This requires a conceptual model of groundwaterflow on the island using geologic, hydrologic, and chemical information, a numerical model for groundwaterflow, a conceptual model of contaminant release and transport properties from the nuclear test cavities, and a numerical model for contaminant transport. Needed for the risk assessment are estimates of the quantity of radionuclides (in terms of mass flux) from the underground tests on Amchitka that could discharge to the ocean, the time of possible discharge, and the location in terms of distance from shoreline. The radionuclide data presented here are all reported in terms of normalized

Chemical reactions of radionuclides with geologic materials found in Columbia River basalt formations were studied. The objective was to determine the ability of these formations to retard radionuclide migration from a radioactive waste repository located in deep basalt. Reactions that can influence migration are precipitation, ion-exchange, complexation, and oxidation-reduction. These reactions were studied by measuring the effects of groundwater composition and redox potential (Eh) on radionuclide sorption on fresh basalt surfaces, a naturally altered basalt, and a sample of secondary minerals associated with a Columbia River basalt flow. In addition, radionuclide sorption isotherms were measured for these materials and reaction kinetics were determined. The radionuclides studied were /sup 137/Cs, /sup 85/Sr, /sup 75/Se, /sup 95m/Tc, /sup 237/Np, /sup 241/Am, /sup 226/Ra and /sup 237/Pu. The Freundlich equation accurately describes the isotherms when precipitation of radionuclides does not occur. In general, sorption increased in the order: basalt < altered basalt < secondary minerals. This increase in sorption corresponds to increasing surface area and cation exchange capacity. The Eh of the system had a large effect on technetium, plutonium, and neptunium sorption. Technetium(VII), Pu(VI), and Np(V) are reduced to Tc(IV), Pu(IV), and Np(IV), respectively, under Eh conditions expected in deep basalt formations. The kinetics of radionuclide sorption and basalt-groundwater reactions were observed over a period of 18 weeks. Most sorption reactions stabilized after about four weeks. Groundwater composition changed the least in contact with altered basalt. Contact with secondary minerals greatly increased Ca, K, and Mg concentrations in the groundwater.

The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) stores comprehensive data sets of radionuclide contents in Austrian groundwater. There are several analyses concerning Rn-222, Ra-226, gross alpha and gross beta as well as selected analyses of Ra-228, Pb-210, Po-210, Uranium and U-234/U-238. In a current project financed by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management, AGES and the Geological Survey of Austria (GBA) are evaluating these data sets with regard to the geological backgrounds. Several similar studies based on groundwater monitoring have been made in the USA (for instance by Focazio, M.J., Szabo, Z., Kraemer, T.F., Mullin, A.H., Barringer, T.H., De Paul, V.T. (2001): Occurrence of selected radionuclides in groundwater used for drinking water in the United States: a reconnaissance survey, 1998. U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 00-4273). The geological background for the radionuclide contents of groundwater will be derived from geological maps in combination with existing Thorium and Uranium analyses of the country rocks and stream-sediments and from airborne radiometric maps. Airborne radiometric data could contribute to identify potential radionuclide hot spot areas as only airborne radiometric mapping could provide countrywide Thorium and Uranium data coverage in high resolution. The project will also focus on the habit of the sampled wells and springs and the hydrological situation during the sampling as these factors can have an important influence on the Radon content of the sampled groundwater (Schubert, G., Alletsgruber, I., Finger, F., Gasser, V., Hobiger, G. and Lettner, H. (2010): Radon im Grundwasser des Mühlviertels (Oberösterreich) Grundwasser. - Springer (in print). Based on the project results an overview map (1:500,000) concerning the radionuclide potential should be produced. The first version should be available in February 2011.

Underground Test Area (UGTA) corrective action unit (CAU) groundwaterflow and contaminant transport models of the Nevada Test Site (NTS) and vicinity are built upon hydrostratigraphic framework models (HFMs) that utilize the hydrostratigraphic unit (HSU) as the fundamental modeling component. The delineation and three-dimensional (3-D) modeling of HSUs within the highly complex geologic terrain that is the NTS requires a hydrostratigraphic system that is internally consistent, yet flexible enough to account for overlapping model areas, varied geologic terrain, and the development of multiple alternative HFMs. The UGTA CAU-scale hydrostratigraphic system builds on more than 50 years of geologic and hydrologic work in the NTS region. It includes 76 HSUs developed from nearly 300 stratigraphic units that span more than 570 million years of geologic time, and includes rock units as diverse as marine carbonate and siliciclastic rocks, granitic intrusives, rhyolitic lavas and ash-flow tuffs, and alluvial valley-fill deposits. The UGTA CAU-scale hydrostratigraphic system uses a geology-based approach and two-level classification scheme. The first, or lowest, level of the hydrostratigraphic system is the hydrogeologic unit (HGU). Rocks in a model area are first classified as one of ten HGUs based on the rock’s ability to transmit groundwater (i.e., nature of their porosity and permeability), which at the NTS is mainly a function of the rock’s primary lithology, type and degree of postdepositional alteration, and propensity to fracture. The second, or highest, level within the UGTA CAU-scale hydrostratigraphic system is the HSU, which is the fundamental mapping/modeling unit within UGTA CAU-scale HFMs. HSUs are 3-D bodies that are represented in the finite element mesh for the UGTA groundwater modeling process. HSUs are defined systematically by stratigraphically organizing HGUs of similar character into larger HSUs designations. The careful integration of

Geophysic publication Groundwaterflow under surface, its usually slow moving, so that in laminer flow condition can find analisys using the Darcy???s law. The combination between Darcy law and continuity equation can find differential Laplace equation as general equation groundwaterflow in sub surface. Based on Differential Laplace Equation is the equation that can be used to describe hydraulic head and velocity flow distribution in porous media as groundwater. In the modeling Laplace e...

The objective of this study is to introduce a module in CoupModel describing the transport and accumulation in the biosphere of a radionuclide originating from a ground water contamination. Two model approaches describing the plant uptake of a radionuclide were included, namely passive and active uptake. Passive uptake means in this study that the root uptake rate of a radionuclide is governed by water uptake. Normal mechanism for the passive water uptake is the convective flux of water from the soil to the plant. An example of element taken up passively is Ca. Active plant uptake is in this model defined as the root uptake rate of a radionuclide that is governed by carbon assimilation i.e. photosynthesis and plant growth. The actively taken up element can for example be an element essential to plant, but not available in high enough concentration by passive uptake alone, like the major nutrients N and P or an element that very well resembles a plant nutrient, like Cs resembles K. Active uptake of trace element may occur alone or in addition to passive uptake. Normal mechanism for the active uptake is molecular diffusion from the soil solution to the roots or via any other organism living in symbiosis with the roots like the mycorrhiza. Also a model approach describing adsorption was introduced. CoupModel dynamically couples and simulates the flows of water, heat, carbon and nitrogen in the soil/plant/atmosphere system. Any number of plants may be defined and are divided into roots, leaves, stem and grain. The soil is considered in one vertical profile that may be represented into a maximum of 100 layers. The model is the windows-successor and integrated version of the DOS-models SOIL and SOILN, which have been widely used on different ecosystems and climate regions during 25 years time period. To this soil/plant/atmosphere model were introduced a module describing accumulation of a radionuclide in the biosphere originating from groundwater contamination. The

Hiergesell, Robert A [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Kubilius, Walter P. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

2016-05-01

Within the General Separations Areas (GSA) at the Savannah River Site (SRS), significant inventories of radionuclides exist within two major groundwater contamination plumes that are emanating from the F- and H-Area seepage basins. These radionuclides are moving slowly with groundwater migration, albeit more slowly due to interaction with the soil and aquifer matrix material. The purpose of this investigation is to quantify the activity of radionuclides associated with the pore water component of the groundwater plumes. The scope of this effort included evaluation of all groundwater sample analyses obtained from the wells that have been established by the Environmental Compliance & Area Completion Projects (EC&ACP) Department at SRS to monitor groundwater contamination emanating from the F- and H-Area Seepage Basins. Using this data, generalized groundwater plume maps for the radionuclides that occur in elevated concentrations (Am-241, Cm-243/244, Cs-137, I-129, Ni-63, Ra-226/228, Sr-90, Tc-99, U-233/234, U-235 and U-238) were generated and utilized to calculate both the volume of contaminated groundwater and the representative concentration of each radionuclide associated with different plume concentration zones.

The bibliography contains citations concerning the contamination of groundwater with radionuclides and their subsequent migration. Monitoring surveys of existing sites with actual or potential radioactive groundwater contamination are included. Transport and migration models for radionuclides in groundwater are discussed. Natural radiation and accidental releases are considered in addition to anthropogenic sources of radioactive pollution such as waste storage and disposal. Contributions to radioactive pollution from uranium mining and processing are discussed in a separate bibliography. (Contains 50-250 citations and includes a subject term index and title list.) (Copyright NERAC, Inc. 1995)

The bibliography contains citations concerning the contamination of groundwater with radionuclides and their subsequent migration. Monitoring surveys of existing sites with actual or potential radioactive groundwater contamination are included. Transport and migration models for radionuclides in groundwater are discussed. Natural radiation and accidental releases are considered in addition to anthropogenic sources of radioactive pollution such as waste storage and disposal. Contributions to radioactive pollution from uranium mining and processing are discussed in a separate bibliography. (Contains 50-250 citations and includes a subject term index and title list.) (Copyright NERAC, Inc. 1995)

Full Text Available Abstract Laboratory batch sorption experiments were used to investigate variations in the retardation behavior of redox-sensitive radionuclides. Water-rock compositions were designed to simulate subsurface conditions at the Nevada Test Site (NTS, where a suite of radionuclides were deposited as a result of underground nuclear testing. Experimental redox conditions were controlled by varying the oxygen content inside an enclosed glove box and by adding reductants into the testing solutions. Under atmospheric (oxidizing conditions, radionuclide distribution coefficients varied with the mineralogic composition of the sorbent and the water chemistry. Under reducing conditions, distribution coefficients showed marked increases for 99Tc (from 1.22 at oxidizing to 378 mL/g at mildly reducing conditions and 237Np (an increase from 4.6 to 930 mL/g in devitrified tuff, but much smaller variations in alluvium, carbonate rock, and zeolitic tuff. This effect was particularly important for 99Tc, which tends to be mobile under oxidizing conditions. A review of the literature suggests that iodine sorption should decrease under reducing conditions when I- is the predominant species; this was not consistently observed in batch tests. Overall, sorption of U to alluvium, devitrified tuff, and zeolitic tuff under atmospheric conditions was less than in the glove-box tests. However, the mildly reducing conditions achieved here were not likely to result in substantial U(VI reduction to U(IV. Sorption of Pu was not affected by the decreasing Eh conditions achieved in this study, as the predominant sorbed Pu species in all conditions was expected to be the low-solubility and strongly sorbing Pu(OH4. Depending on the aquifer lithology, the occurrence of reducing conditions along a groundwater flowpath could potentially contribute to the retardation of redox-sensitive radionuclides 99Tc and 237Np, which are commonly identified as long-term dose contributors in the risk

Posiva Oy has carried out site characterisation for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel in Finland since 1987. To meet the demanding needs to measure the hydraulic parameters in bedrock Posiva launched development of new flowmeter techniques including measuring methods and equipment in co-operation with PRG-Tec Oy. The techniques have been tested and used in the ongoing site investigations in Finland, in the underground Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) at Aespoe in Sweden and in URL in Canada. The new methods are called difference flow and transverse flow methods. The difference flow method includes two modes, normal and detailed flow logging methods. In the normal mode the flow rate measurement is based on thermal pulse and thermal dilution methods, in the detailed logging mode only on thermal dilution method. The measuring ranges for flow rate with thermal pulse and dilution methods are 0.1-10 ml/min and 2-5000 ml/min, respectively. The difference flow method(normal mode) for small flows (0.1-10 ml/min) is based on measuring the pulse transit time and direction of a thermal pulse in the sensor. For high flows (2-5000 ml/min) the method is based on thermal dilution rate of a sensor. Direction is measured with monitoring thermistors. Inflow or outflow in the test interval is created due to natural or by pumping induced differences between heads in the borehole water and groundwater around the borehole. The single point resistance (and the temperature of borehole water) measurement is carried out simultaneously with the difference flow measurements, both in normal and detailed flow logging modes, while the tool is moving. The result is utilised for checking the exact depth of the tool. As the result a continuous log is obtained from which single fractures can be detected. The transverse flowmeter is able to measure the groundwaterflow across a borehole. A special packer system guides the flow through the flow sensors. Four inflatable seals between conventional

In this Phase I Small Business Innovation Research program, Membrane Technology Research, Inc., is developing a stable liquid membrane for extracting uranium and other radionuclides from groundwater. The improved membrane can also be applied to separation of other metal ions from aqueous streams in industrial operations.

Natural groundwaterflow is usually transient, especially in long time scale. A theoretical approach on unsteady groundwaterflow systems was adopted to highlight some of the knowledge gaps in the evolution of groundwaterflow systems. The specific consideration was focused on evolution of groundwaterflow systems from unsteady to steady under natural and mining conditions. Two analytical solutions were developed, using segregation variable method to calculate the hydraulic head under steady and unsteady flow conditions. The impact of anisotropy ratio, hydraulic conductivity (K) and specific yield (μs) on the flow patterns were analyzed. The results showed that the area of the equal velocity region increased and the penetrating depth of the flow system decreased while the anisotropy ratio (ɛ = °Kx-/Kz--) increased. Stagnant zones were found in the flow field where the directions of streamlines were opposite. These stagnant zones moved up when the horizontal hydraulic conductivity increased. The results of the study on transient flow indicated a positive impact on hydraulic head with an increase of hydraulic conductivity, while a negative effect on hydraulic head was observed when the specific yield was enhanced. An unsteady numerical model of groundwaterflow systems with annual periodic recharge was developed using MODFLOW. It was observed that the transient groundwaterflow patterns were different from that developed in the steady flow under the same recharge intensity. The water table fluctuated when the recharge intensity altered. The monitoring of hydraulic head and concentration migration revealed that the unsteady recharge affected the shallow local flow system more than the deep regional flow system. The groundwaterflow systems fluctuated with the action of one or more pumping wells. The comparison of steady and unsteady groundwaterflow observation indicated that the unsteady flow patterns cannot be simulated by the steady model when the condition

We perform a Global Sensitivity Analysis (GSA) of a transport model used to compute the peak radionuclide concentration at a given control location in a randomly heterogeneous aquifer, following a release from a near surface repository of radioactive waste and subsequent contaminant migration within the host porous medium. We illustrate how uncertainty stemming from incomplete characterization of (a) the correlation scale of the variogram of hydraulic conductivity, (b) the partition coefficient associated with sorption of the migrating radionuclide, and (c) the effective dispersivity at the scale of interest propagates to the first two (ensemble) moments of the peak solute concentration detected at a target location within a two-dimensional randomly heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity field. We treat the uncertain system parameters as independent random variables and perform a variance-based GSA within a numerical Monte Carlo framework. Groundwaterflow and transport are solved by randomly sampling the space of the uncertain parameters for an ensemble of generated hydraulic conductivity realizations. The Sobol indices are adopted as sensitivity measures. These are calculated by employing a Polynomial Chaos Expansion (PCE) technique. The PCE-based representation of the response surface of the adopted transport model is then adopted as a surrogate model of the transport process to reduce the computational burden associated with a standard Monte Carlo solution of the original governing equations. This methodology allows identifying the relative influence of the selected uncertain parameters on the target (ensemble) moments of peak concentrations. Our results suggest that the ensemble mean of peak concentration is strongly influenced by the partition coefficient and the longitudinal dispersivity for the scenario analyzed. On the other hand, the hydraulic conductivity correlation scale plays an important role in the variance of the calculated peak concentration values

Traditional approaches to the remediation of contaminated groundwater, such as pump-and-treat, have been used for many years for the treatment of groundwater contaminated with various organics. However the treatment of groundwater contaminated with organics and radionuclides has been considerably more challenging. Safety and Ecology Corporation (SEC) was recently faced with these challenges while designing a remediation system for the remediation of TCE-contaminated groundwater and soil at the RMI Extrusion Plant in Ashtabula, OH. Under contract with RMI Environmental Services (RMIES), SEC teamed with Regenesis, Inc. to design, implement, and execute a bioremediation system to remove TCE and associated organics from groundwater and soil that was also contaminated with uranium and technetium. The SEC-Regenesis system involved the injection of Hydrogen Release Compound (HRC), a natural attenuation accelerant that has been patented, designed, and produced by Regenesis, to stimulate the reductive dechlorination and remediation of chlorinated organics in subsurface environments. The compound was injected using direct-push Geoprobe rods over a specially designed grid system through the zone of contaminated groundwater. The innovative approach eliminated the need to extract contaminated groundwater and bypassed the restrictive limitations listed above. The system has been in operation for roughly six months and has begun to show considerable success at dechlorinating and remediating the TCE plume and in reducing the radionuclides into insoluble precipitants. The paper will provide an overview of the design, installation, and initial operation phase of the project, focusing on how traditional design challenges of remediating radiologically contaminated groundwater were overcome. The following topics will be specifically covered: a description of the mechanics of the HRC technology; an assessment of the applicability of the HRC technology to contaminated groundwater plumes

This report documents the evaluation of the information and data available on the unclassified source term and radionuclide contamination for Central and Western Pahute Mesa: Corrective Action Units (CAUs) 101 and 102.

Groundwaterflow in Washington DC greatly influences the surface water quality in urban areas. The current methods of flow estimation, based on Darcy's Law and the groundwaterflow equation, can be described by the diffusion equation (the transient flow) and the Laplace equation (the steady-state flow). The Laplace equation is a simplification of the diffusion equation under the condition that the aquifer has a recharging boundary. The practical way of calculation is to use numerical methods to solve these equations. The most popular system is called MODFLOW, which was developed by USGS. MODFLOW is based on the finite-difference method in rectangular Cartesian coordinates. MODFLOW can be viewed as a "quasi 3D" simulation since it only deals with the vertical average (no z-direction derivative). Flow calculations between the 2D horizontal layers use the concept of leakage. In this project, we have established a mathematical model based on gradually varied functions for groundwater data volume reconstruction. T...

Groundwaterflow in deep sedimentary basins results from complex evolution processes on geological timescales. Groundwaterflow systems conceptualized according to topography and/or groundwater table configuration generally assume a near-equilibrium state with the modern landscape. However, the time to reach such a steady state, and more generally the timescales of groundwaterflow system evolution are key considerations for large sedimentary basins. This is true in the North China Basin (NCB), which has been studied for many years due to its importance as a groundwater supply. Despite many years of study, there remain contradictions between the generally accepted conceptual model of regional flow, and environmental tracer data. We seek to reconcile these contractions by conducting simulations of groundwaterflow, age and heat transport in a three dimensional model, using an alternative conceptual model, based on geological, thermal, isotope and historical data. We infer flow patterns under modern hydraulic conditions using this new model and present the theoretical maximum groundwater ages under such a flow regime. The model results show that in contrast to previously accepted conceptualizations, most groundwater is discharged in the vicinity of the break-in-slope of topography at the boundary between the piedmont and central plain. Groundwater discharge to the ocean is in contrast small, and in general there are low rates of active flow in the eastern parts of the basin below the central and coastal plain. This conceptualization is more compatible with geochemical and geothermal data than the previous model. Simulated maximum groundwater ages of ∼1 Myrs below the central and coastal plain indicate that residual groundwater may be retained in the deep parts of the basin since being recharged during the last glacial period or earlier. The groundwaterflow system has therefore probably not reached a new equilibrium state with modern-day hydraulic conditions. The

The radionuclide migration from a certain Chinese repository withlow-intermediate level radioactive solid waste is studied. The migration in groundwater is analyzed and computed in detail. Under presumption of normal releasing, or the bottom of the repository has been marinated for one month with precipitation reaching 600 mm once and a 6m aerated zone exists, a prediction for 7 radionuclides is conducted. It shows that the aerated zone is the primary barrier for migration. The migration for radionuclides 60Co, 137Cs, 90Sr, 63Ni, etc. will be retarded in it within 500 years. The concentration of 239Pu will be decreased by amount of 6 order. Only 3H and 14C can migrate through the aerated zone. The radionuclides that go through the aerated zone and enter the aquifer will exist in spring, stream and sea. Based on this, the intake dose by residents in different age group resulting from drinking contaminated spring water, eating seafood is calculated. The results showed that the impact of the repository to the key resident group is lower than the limit in national repository regulation standard. This complies with the repository management target.

Accurate quantification of groundwaterflow patterns, both in magnitude and direction, is a necessary component of evaluating any hydrologic system. Groundwaterflow patterns are often determined using a dense network of wells or piezometers, which can be limited due to logistical or regulatory constraints. The self-potential (SP) method, a passive geophysical technique that relies on currents generated by water movement through porous materials, is a re-emerging alternative or addition to traditional piezometer networks. Naturally generated currents can be measured as voltage differences at the ground surface using only two electrodes, or a more complex electrode array. While the association between SP measurements and groundwaterflow was observed as early as 1890s, the method has seen resurgence in hydrology since the governing equations were refined in the 1980s. The method can be used to analyze hydrologic processes at various temporal and spatial scales. Here we present the results of multiple SP surveys collected a multiple scales (1 to 10s of meters). Here single SP grid surveys are used to evaluate flow patterns through artic hillslopes at a discrete point in time. Additionally, a coupled groundwater and electrical model is used to analyze multiple SP data sets to evaluate seasonal changes in groundwaterflow through an alpine meadow.

Groundwaterflow modelling on the site scale has been an essential part of site investigation work carried out at different locations since 1986. The objective of the modelling has been to provide results that characterise the groundwaterflow conditions deep in the bedrock. The main result quantities can be used for evaluation of the investigation sites and of the preconditions for safe final disposal - of spent nuclear fuel. This study represents the groundwaterflow modelling at Haestholmen, and it comprises the transient flow analysis taking into account the effects of density variations and the repository as well as the post-glacial land uplift. The analysis is performed by means of numerical finite element simulation of coupled and transient groundwaterflow and solute transport carried out up to 10000 years into the future. This work provides also the results for the site-specific data needs for the block scale groundwaterflow modelling at Haestholmen. Conceptually the fractured bedrock is divided into hydraulic units: the planar fracture zones and the remaining part of the bedrock. The equivalent-continuum (EC) model is applied so that each hydraulic unit is treated as a homogeneous and isotropic continuum with representative average characteristics. All the fracture zones are modelled explicitly and represented by two-dimensional finite elements. A site-specific simulation model for groundwaterflow and solute transport is developed on the basis of the latest hydrogeological and hydrogeochemical field investigations at Haestholmen. The present topography together with a mathematical model describing the land uplift at the Haestholmen area are employed as a boundary condition at the surface of the model. The overall flow pattern is mostly controlled by the local variations in the topography and by the highly transmissive fracture zones. Near the surface the flow spreads out to offshore and to the lower areas of topography in all directions away from

Laboratory batch sorption experiments were used to investigate variations in the retardation behavior of redox-sensitive radionuclides. Water-rock compositions used during these experiments were designed to simulate subsurface conditions at the Nevada Test Site (NTS), where a suite of radionuclides were deposited as a result of underground nuclear testing. Experimental redox conditions were controlled by varying the oxygen content inside an enclosed glove box and by adding reductants into the testing solutions. Under atmospheric (oxidizing) conditions, the radionuclide distribution coefficients varied with the mineralogical composition of the sorbent and the water chemistry. Under reducing conditions, distribution coefficients showed marked increases for {sup 99}Tc and {sup 237}Np in devitrified tuff, but much smaller variations in alluvium, carbonate rock, and zeolitic tuff. This effect was particularly important for {sup 99}Tc, which tends to be mobile under oxidizing conditions. Unlike other redox-sensitive radionuclides, iodine sorption may decrease under reducing conditions when I{sup -} is the predominant species. Overall, sorption of U to alluvium, devitrified tuff, and zeolitic tuff under atmospheric conditions was less than in the glove-box tests. However, the mildly reducing conditions achieved here were not likely to result in substantial U(VI) reduction to U(IV). Sorption of Pu was not affected by the decreasing redox conditions achieved in this study, as the predominant sorbed Pu species in all conditions was expected to be the low-solubility and strongly sorbing Pu(OH){sub 4}. Depending on the aquifer lithology, the occurrence of reducing conditions along a groundwater flowpath could potentially contribute to the retardation of redox-sensitive radionuclides {sup 99}Tc and {sup 237}Np, which are commonly identified as long-term dose contributors in the risk assessment in various nuclear facilities.

Nonlinear multiple regression methods are developed to model and analyze groundwaterflow systems. Complete descriptions of regression methodology as applied to groundwaterflow models allow scientists and engineers engaged in flow modeling to apply the methods to a wide range of problems. Organization of the text proceeds from an introduction that discusses the general topic of groundwaterflow modeling, to a review of basic statistics necessary to properly apply regression techniques, and then to the main topic: exposition and use of linear and nonlinear regression to model groundwaterflow. Statistical procedures are given to analyze and use the regression models. A number of exercises and answers are included to exercise the student on nearly all the methods that are presented for modeling and statistical analysis. Three computer programs implement the more complex methods. These three are a general two-dimensional, steady-state regression model for flow in an anisotropic, heterogeneous porous medium, a program to calculate a measure of model nonlinearity with respect to the regression parameters, and a program to analyze model errors in computed dependent variables such as hydraulic head. (USGS)

Groundwaterflow in many low permeability rocks is believed to occur within discrete fractures. Radionuclides in solution can diffuse away from the fractures into immobile water in the rock matrix. This process (rock-matrix diffusion) is important in determining the performance of a repository situated in fractured rock because it retards the transport of radionuclides that might otherwise return more rapidly towards the biosphere. NAPSAC is a computer program used to model groundwaterflow and radionuclide transport in fractured rock. This report describes the implementation of a rock-matrix diffusion model in NAPSAC. (author)

Unsaturated flow has been modeled through four cross-sections at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, for the purpose of determining groundwater particle travel times from the potential repository to the water table. This work will be combined with the results of flow modeling in the saturated zone for the purpose of evaluating the suitability of the potential repository under the criteria of 10CFR960. One criterion states, in part, that the groundwater travel time (GWTT) from the repository to the accessible environment must exceed 1,000 years along the fastest path of likely and significant radionuclide travel. Sensitivity analyses have been conducted for one geostatistical realization of one cross-section for the purpose of (1) evaluating the importance of hydrological parameters having some uncertainty and (2) examining conceptual models of flow by altering the numerical implementation of the conceptual model (dual permeability (DK) and the equivalent continuum model (ECM). Results of comparisons of the ECM and DK model are also presented in Ho et al.

Unsaturated flow has been modeled through four cross-sections at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, for the purpose of determining groundwater particle travel times from the potential repository to the water table. This work will be combined with the results of flow modeling in the saturated zone for the purpose of evaluating the suitability of the potential repository under the criteria of 10CFR960. One criterion states, in part, that the groundwater travel time (GWTT) from the repository to the accessible environment must exceed 1,000 years along the fastest path of likely and significant radionuclide travel. Sensitivity analyses have been conducted for one geostatistical realization of one cross-section for the purpose of (1) evaluating the importance of hydrological parameters having some uncertainty (infiltration, fracture-matrix connectivity, fracture frequency, and matrix air entry pressure or van Genuchten {alpha}); and (2) examining conceptual models of flow by altering the numerical implementation of the conceptual model (dual permeability (DK) and the equivalent continuum model (ECM)). Results of comparisons of the ECM and DK model are also presented in Ho et al.

The large-scale pattern of subglacial groundwaterflow beneath European ice sheets was analysed in a previous report. It was based on a two-dimensional flowline model. In this report, the analysis is extended to three dimensions by exploring the interactions between groundwater and tunnel flow. A theory is developed which suggests that the large-scale geometry of the hydraulic system beneath an ice sheet is a coupled, self-organising system. In this system the pressure distribution along tunnels is a function of discharge derived from basal meltwater delivered to tunnels by groundwaterflow, and the pressure along tunnels itself sets the base pressure which determines the geometry of catchments and flow towards the tunnel. The large-scale geometry of tunnel distribution is a product of the pattern of basal meltwater production and the transmissive properties of the bed. The tunnel discharge from the ice margin of the glacier, its seasonal fluctuation and the sedimentary characteristics of eskers are largely determined by the discharge of surface meltwater which penetrates to the bed in the terminal zone. The theory explains many of the characteristics of esker systems and can account for tunnel valleys. It is concluded that the large-scale hydraulic regime beneath ice sheets is largely a consequence of groundwater/tunnel flow interactions and that it is essential similar to non-glacial hydraulic regimes. Experimental data from an Icelandic glacier, which demonstrates measured relationships between subglacial tunnel flow and groundwaterflow during the transition from summer to winter seasons for a modern glacier, and which support the general conclusions of the theory is summarised in an appendix.

Radionuclide concentration predictions in aquifers play an important role in estimating impact of planned surface disposal of radioactive waste in Belgium, developed by the Belgian Agency for Radioactive Waste and Enriched Fissile Materials (ONDRAF), who also coordinates and leads the corresponding research. Long-term concentration predictions are based on a steady-state flow solution obtained by a cascade of multi-scale models from the catchment to the detailed (site) scale performed in MODFLOW. To test the concept and accuracy of the groundwaterflow solution and conservativeness of the concentration predictions obtained therewith, a transient model, considered more realistic, was set up in a sub-domain of the intermediate scale steady-state model. Besides the modelling domain reduction, the transient model was and exact copy of the steady-state model, having the infiltration as the only time-varying parameter. The transient model was run for a twenty-year period, whereas the results were compared to the steady-state results based on infiltration value and observations averaged over the same period. The comparison of the steady-state and transient flow solutions includes the analyses of the goodness of fit, the parameter sensitivities, relative importance of the individual observations and one-percent sensitivity maps. The steady-state and transient flow solutions were subsequently translated into a site-scale transport model, used to predict the radionuclide concentrations in a hypothetical well in the aquifers. The translation of the flow solutions between the models of distinct scales was performed using the Local grid refinement method available in MODFLOW. In the site-scale models, MT3DMS transport simulations were performed to obtain respective concentration predictions in a hypothetical well, situated at 70 meters from the disposal tumuli. The equilibrium concentrations based on a constant source flux achieved using a steady-state solution were then

The channel flow blockage accident is one of the in core loss of coolant accidents, the release path of radionuclide is very different from conventional loss of coolant accidents. The large amount of radionuclide released from broken channel is being washed during it passes through the moderator in Calandria. The objective of containment behavior analysis for channel flow blockage event is to assess the amount of radionuclide release to the ambient atmosphere. Radionuclide release rates in case of channel flow blockage with all safety system available, that is containment building is intact, as well as with containment system impairment are analyzed with GOTHIC and SMART code

The authors will explore the numerical simulation of groundwaterflow in three-dimensional heterogeneous porous media. An interdisciplinary team of mathematicians, computer scientists, hydrologists, and environmental engineers is developing a sophisticated simulation code for use on workstation clusters and MPPs. To date, they have concentrated on modeling flow in the saturated zone (single phase), which requires the solution of a large linear system. they will discuss their implementation of preconditioned conjugate gradient solvers. The preconditioners under consideration include simple diagonal scaling, s-step Jacobi, adaptive Chebyshev polynomial preconditioning, and multigrid. They will present some preliminary numerical results, including simulations of groundwaterflow at the LLNL site. They also will demonstrate the code`s scalability.

We investigate groundwaterflow near cooling plutons with a computer program that can model multiphase flow, temperatures up to 1200??C, thermal pressurization, and temperature-dependent rock properties. A series of experiments examines the effects of host-rock permeability, size and depth of pluton emplacement, single versus multiple intrusions, the influence of a caprock, and the impact of topographically driven groundwaterflow. We also reproduce and evaluate some of the pioneering numerical experiments on flow around plutons. Host-rock permeability is the principal factor influencing fluid circulation and heat transfer in hydrothermal systems. The hottest and most steam-rich systems develop where permeability is of the order of 10-15 m2. Temperatures and life spans of systems decrease with increasing permeability. Conduction-dominated systems, in which permeabilities are ???10-16m2, persist longer but exhibit relatively modest increases in near-surface temperatures relative to ambient conditions. Pluton size, emplacement depth, and initial thermal conditions have less influence on hydrothermal circulation patterns but affect the extent of boiling and duration of hydrothermal systems. Topographically driven groundwaterflow can significantly alter hydrothermal circulation; however, a low-permeability caprock effectively decouples the topographically and density-driven systems and stabilizes the mixing interface between them thereby defining a likely ore-forming environment.

Groundwaterflow modelling on the site scale has been an essential part of site investigation work carried out at different locations since 1986. The objective of the modelling has been to provide results that characterise the groundwaterflow conditions deep in the bedrock. The main result quantities can be used for evaluation of the investigation sites and of the preconditions for safe final disposal of spent nuclear fuel. This study represents the latest modelling effort at Olkiluoto (Finland), and it comprises the transient flow analysis taking into account the effects of density variations and the repository as well as the post-glacial land uplift. The analysis is performed by means of numerical finite element simulation of coupled and transient groundwaterflow and solute transport carried out up to 10000 years into the future. This work provides also the results for the site-specific data needs for the block scale groundwaterflow modelling at Olkiluoto. Conceptually the fractured bedrock is divided into hydraulic units: the planar fracture zones and the remaining part of the bedrock. The equivalent-continuum (EC) model is applied so that each hydraulic unit is treated as a homogeneous and isotropic continuum with representative average characteristics. All the fracture zones are modelled explicitly and represented by two-dimensional finite elements. A site-specific simulation model for groundwaterflow and solute transport is developed on the basis of the latest hydrogeological and hydrogeochemical field investigations at Olkiluoto. The present groundwater table and topography together with a mathematical model describing the land uplift at the Olkiluoto area are employed as a boundary condition at the surface of the model. The overall flow pattern is mostly controlled by the local variations in the topography. Below the island of Olkiluoto the flow direction is mostly downwards, while near the shoreline and below the sea water flows horizontally and

Following the reactor 4 explosion of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP), at least 1019 Bq of radionuclides (RN) were released in the environment. In order to protect workers and prevent further atmospheric RN dispersion in the area adjacent to the ChNPP, contaminated wastes including fuel particles, topsoil layer and forest remains were buried in approximately 800 shallow trenches in the sand formation in the Red Forest waste dump site [1]. No containment measures were taken, and since then RN have leaked to the unsaturated zone and to the groundwater. Since 1999, migration of RN in the vicinity of the trench 22 at Red Forest site has been investigated within the frame of the EPIC program carried out by IRSN in collaboration with UIAR and IGS [2, 3]. A plume of 90Sr was shown downgradient from the trench 22 with activites reaching 3750 Bq/L [2]. In 2008, further studies were initiated through the TRASSE research group, based on a collaboration between IRSN and CNRS. These programs aim at combining groundwater dating with RN migration monitoring studies in order to constrain RN transport models [3]. Groundwater residence time was investigated based on 3H/He and CFC. Both tracers led to ages ranging from modern (1-3 y) at 2 m depth below the groundwater table to significantly higher apparent ages of 50-60 y at 27 m below the groundwater table [3]. 36Cl/Cl ratios 2 to 4 orders of magnitude higher than the theoretical natural ratio are measured in groundwater. Similarly, SF6 shows concentrations as high as 1200 pptv while natural concentrations are in the order of 6-7 pptv. Based on apparent groundwater ages, both contaminations are linked to the Chernobyl explosion. Hence those tracers show excellent potential to constrain conservative and reactive transport, respectively. In contrast, 238U/235U ratio down gradient from trench 22 remains similar to the natural ratio. This suggests that either most of the U contained in the trench is in a non soluble form

Understanding freshwater fluxes at continental scales will help us better predict hydrologic response and manage our terrestrial water resources. The partitioning of evapotranspiration into bare soil evaporation and plant transpiration remains a key uncertainty in the terrestrial water balance. We used integrated hydrologic simulations that couple vegetation and land-energy processes with surface and subsurface hydrology to study transpiration partitioning at the continental scale. Both latent heat flux and partitioning are connected to water table depth, and including lateral groundwaterflow in the model increases transpiration partitioning from 47 ± 13 to 62 ± 12%. This suggests that lateral groundwaterflow, which is generally simplified or excluded in Earth system models, may provide a missing link for reconciling observations and global models of terrestrial water fluxes.

Environmental restoration at the Shoal underground nuclear test is following a process prescribed by a Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO) between the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the State of Nevada. Characterization of the site included two stages of well drilling and testing in 1996 and 1999, and development and revision of numerical models of groundwaterflow and radionuclide transport. Agreement on a contaminant boundary for the site and a corrective action plan was reached in 2006. Later that same year, three wells were installed for the purposes of model validation and site monitoring. The FFACO prescribes a five-year proof-of-concept period for demonstrating that the site groundwater model is capable of producing meaningful results with an acceptable level of uncertainty. The corrective action plan specifies a rigorous seven step validation process. The accepted groundwater model is evaluated using that process in light of the newly acquired data. The conceptual model of ground water flow for the Project Shoal Area considers groundwaterflow through the fractured granite aquifer comprising the Sand Springs Range. Water enters the system by the infiltration of precipitation directly on the surface of the mountain range. Groundwater leaves the granite aquifer by flowing into alluvial deposits in the adjacent basins of Fourmile Flat and Fairview Valley. A groundwater divide is interpreted as coinciding with the western portion of the Sand Springs Range, west of the underground nuclear test, preventing flow from the test into Fourmile Flat. A very low conductivity shear zone east of the nuclear test roughly parallels the divide. The presence of these lateral boundaries, coupled with a regional discharge area to the northeast, is interpreted in the model as causing groundwater from the site to flow in a northeastward direction into Fairview Valley. Steady-state flow conditions are assumed given the absence of

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — This digital data set represents ground-water discharged from the Death Valley regional ground-waterflow system (DVRFS) through pumped wells. Pumping from wells in...

Due to increasing demand for numerous industrial facilities including nuclear power plants and waste repositories, the feasibility of rocks masses as sites for the facilities has been a geological issue of concern. Rock masses, in general, comprises systems of fractures which can provide pathways for groundwaterflow and may also affect the stability of engineered structures. For the study of groundwaterflow and sorption processes in fractured rocks, five boreholes were drilled. A stepwise and careful integration of various data obtained from field works and laboratory experiments were carried out to analyze groundwaterflow in fractured rocks as follows; (1) investigation of geological feature of the site, (2) identification and characterization of fracture systems using core and televiewer logs, (3) determination of hydrogeological properties of fractured aquifers using geophysical borehole logging, pumping and slug tests, and continuous monitoring of groundwater level and quality, (4) evaluation of groundwaterflow patterns using fluid flow modeling. The results obtained from these processes allow a qualitative interpretation of fractured aquifers in the study area. Column experiments of some reactive radionuclides were also performed to examine sorption processes of the radionuclides including retardation coefficients. In addition, analyses of fracture systems covered (1) reconstruction of the Cenozoic tectonic movements and estimation of frequency indices for the Holocene tectonic movements, (2) determination of distributions and block movements of the Quaternary marine terraces, (3) investigation of lithologic and geotechnical nature of study area, and (4) examination of the Cenozoic volcanic activities and determination of age of the dike swarms. Using data obtained from above mentioned analyses along with data related to earthquakes and active faults, probabilistic approach was performed to determine various potential hazards which may result from the

Many of the world's megacities depend on groundwater from geologically complex aquifers that are over-exploited and threatened by contamination. Here, using the example of Dhaka, Bangladesh, we illustrate how interactions between aquifer heterogeneity and groundwater exploitation jeopardize groundwater resources regionally. Groundwater pumping in Dhaka has caused large-scale drawdown that extends into outlying areas where arsenic-contaminated shallow groundwater is pervasive and has potential to migrate downward. We evaluate the vulnerability of deep, low-arsenic groundwater with groundwater models that incorporate geostatistical simulations of aquifer heterogeneity. Simulations show that preferential flow through stratigraphy typical of fluvio-deltaic aquifers could contaminate deep (>150 m) groundwater within a decade, nearly a century faster than predicted through homogeneous models calibrated to the same data. The most critical fast flowpaths cannot be predicted by simplified models or identified by standard measurements. Such complex vulnerability beyond city limits could become a limiting factor for megacity groundwater supplies in aquifers worldwide.

Due to increasing demand for numerous industrial facilities including nuclear power plants and waste repositories, the feasibility of rocks masses as sites for the facilities has been a geological issue of concern. Rock masses, in general, comprises systems of fractures which can provide pathways for groundwaterflow and may also affect the stability of engineered structures. such properties of fractures stimulate a synthetic study on (1) analyses of fracture systems, and (2) characterization of groundwaterflow and sorption processes in fractured rocks to establish a preliminary model for assessing suitable sites for industrial facilities. The analyses of fracture systems cover (1) reconstruction of the Cenozoic tectonic movements and estimation of frequency indices for the Holocene tectonic movements, (2) determination of distributions and block movements of the Quaternary marine terraces, (3) investigation of lithologic and geotechnical nature of study area, and (4) examination of the Cenozoic volcanic activities and determination of age of the dike swarms. Using data obtained from above mentioned analyses along with data related to earthquakes and active faults, probabilistic approach is performed to determine various potential hazards which may result from the Quaternary or the Holocene tectonic movements. In addition, stepwise and careful integration of various data obtained from field works and laboratory experiments are carried out to analyze groundwaterflow in fractures rocks as follows; (1) investigation of geological feature of the site, (2) identification and characterization of fracture systems using core and televiewer logs, (3) determination of conductive fractures using electrical conductivity, temperature, and flow logs, (4) identification of hydraulic connections between fractures using televiewer logs with tracer tests within specific zones. The results obtained from these processes allow a qualitative interpretation of groundwaterflow patterns

Due to increasing demand for numerous industrial facilities including nuclear power plants and waste repositories, the feasibility of rocks masses as sites for the facilities has been a geological issue of concern. Rock masses, in general, comprises systems of fractures which can provide pathways for groundwaterflow and may also affect the stability of engineered structures. such properties of fractures stimulate a synthetic study on (1) analyses of fracture systems, and (2) characterization of groundwaterflow and sorption processes in fractured rocks to establish a preliminary model for assessing suitable sites for industrial facilities. The analyses of fracture systems cover (1) reconstruction of the Cenozoic tectonic movements and estimation of frequency indices for the Holocene tectonic movements, (2) determination of distributions and block movements of the Quaternary marine terraces, (3) investigation of lithologic and geotechnical nature of study area, and (4) examination of the Cenozoic volcanic activities and determination of age of the dike swarms. Using data obtained from above mentioned analyses along with data related to earthquakes and active faults, probabilistic approach is performed to determine various potential hazards which may result from the Quaternary or the Holocene tectonic movements. In addition, stepwise and careful integration of various data obtained from field works and laboratory experiments are carried out to analyze groundwaterflow in fractures rocks as follows; (1) investigation of geological feature of the site, (2) identification and characterization of fracture systems using core and televiewer logs, (3) determination of conductive fractures using electrical conductivity, temperature, and flow logs, (4) identification of hydraulic connections between fractures using televiewer logs with tracer tests within specific zones. The results obtained from these processes allow a qualitative interpretation of groundwaterflow patterns

Groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs) are highly influenced by the amount of groundwater, seasonal variation of precipitation and consequent water table fluctuation and also the anthropogenic activities. They can be regarded as natural surface manifestations of the flowinggroundwater. The preservation of environment and biodiversity of these GDEs is an important issue worldwide, however, the water management policy and action plan could not be constructed in absense of proper hydrogeological knowledge. The concept of gravity-driven regional groundwaterflow could aid the understanding of flow pattern and interpretation of environmental processes and conditions. Unless the required well data are available, the geological-hydrogeological numerical model of the study area cannot be constructed based only on borehole information. In this case, spatially continuous geophysical data can support groundwaterflow model building: systematically combined geophysical methods can provide model input. Integration of lithostratigraphic, electrostratigraphic and hydrostratigraphic information could aid groundwaterflow model construction: hydrostratigraphic units and their hydraulic behaviour, boundaries and geometry can be obtained. Groundwater-related natural manifestations, such as GDEs, can be explained with the help of the revealed flow pattern and field mapping of features. Integrated groundwaterflow model construction for assessing the vulnerability of GDEs was presented via the case study of the geologically complex area of Tihany Peninsula, Hungary, with the aims of understanding the background and occurrence of groundwater-related environmental phenomena, surface water-groundwater interaction, and revealing the potential effect of anthropogenic activity and climate change. In spite of its important and protected status, fluid flow model of the area, which could support water management and natural protection policy, had not been constructed previously. The 3D

Wave-induced recirculation across the sediment-water interface can impact the transport of pollutants through a beach aquifer and their ultimate flux into coastal waters. The fate of nutrients (e.g. from septic and agricultural sources) and fecal indicator bacteria (e.g. E. coil) near the sediment-water interface are of particular concern as these pollutants often lead to degradation of recreational water quality and nearshore ecosystems. This paper presents detailed field measurements of groundwaterflows in a freshwater beach aquifer on Lake Huron over periods of intensified wave conditions. Quantifying wave-driven processes in a freshwater beach aquifer enables wave effects to be studied in isolation from density and tidal effects that complicate groundwaterflows in marine beaches. Water exchange across the sediment-water interface and groundwaterflow patterns were measured using groundwater wells, arrays of vertically nested pressure transducers and manometers. Results show that wave action induces rapid infiltration/exfiltration across the sediment-water interface and a larger recirculation cell through the beach aquifer. Field data is used to validate a numerical groundwater model of wave-induced groundwaterflows. While prior studies have simulated the effects of waves on beach groundwaterflows, this study is the first attempt to validate these sophisticated modeling approaches. Finally, field data illustrating the impact of wave-induced groundwaterflows on nutrient and bacteria fate and transport in beach aquifers will also be presented.

A ground-waterflow system in southwestern Minnesota illustrates water movement between geologic units and between the land surface and the subsurface. The flow patterns indicate numerous zones of ground-water recharge and discharge controlled by topography, varying thicknesses of geologic units, variation in permeabilities, and the configuration of the basement rock surface. Variations in streamflow along a reach of the Yellow Medicine River agree with the subsurface flow system. Increases and decreases in runoff per square mile correspond, apparently, to ground-water discharge and recharge zones. Ground-water quality variations between calcium sulfate waters typical of the Quaternary drift and sodium chloride waters typical of the Cretaceous rocks are caused by mixing of the two water types. The zones of mixing are in agreement with ground-waterflow patterns along the hydrologic section.

Nitrate contamination of groundwater is a problem world-wide. Nitrate from land use activities can leach out of the root zone of the crop into the deeper part of the unsaturated zone and ultimately contaminate the underlying groundwater resources. Nitrate travels with the groundwater and then discharges into surface water causing eutrophication of surface water bodies. To understand the source, fate, and future nitrogen loads to ground and surface water bodies, detailed knowledge of the groundwaterflow dynamics is essential. Groundwater sampled at monitoring wells or discharges may not yet be in equilibrium with current land use intensity due to the time lag between leaching out of the root zone and arrival at the sampling location. Anoxic groundwater zones can act as nitrate sinks through microbial denitrification. However, the effect of denitrification on overall nitrate fluxes depends on the fraction of the groundwaterflowing through such zones. We will show results from volcanic aquifers in the central North Island of New Zealand where age tracers clearly indicate that the groundwater discharges into large sensitive lakes like Lake Taupo and Lake Rotorua are not yet fully realising current land use intensity. The majority of the water discharging into these lakes is decades and up to over hundred years old. Therefore, increases in dairy farming over the last decades are not yet reflected in these old water discharges, but over time these increased nitrate inputs will eventually work their way through the large groundwater systems and increasing N loads to the lakes are to be expected. Anoxic zones are present in some of these aquifers, indicating some denitrification potential, however, age tracer results from nested piezo wells show young groundwater in oxic zones indicating active flow in these zones, while anoxic zones tend to have older water indicating poorer hydraulic conductivity in these zones. Consequently, to evaluate the effect of denitrification

This paper describes solute transport modeling carried out as a part of an assessment of the long-term radiological safety of a planned deep rock repository for spent nuclear fuel in Forsmark, Sweden. Specifically, it presents transport modeling performed to locate and describe discharge areas for groundwater potentially carrying radionuclides from the repository to the surface where man and the environment could be affected by the contamination. The modeling results show that topography to large extent determines the discharge locations. Present and future lake and wetland objects are central for the radionuclide transport and dose calculations in the safety assessment. Results of detailed transport modeling focusing on the regolith and the upper part of the rock indicate that the identification of discharge areas and objects considered in the safety assessment is robust in the sense that it does not change when a more detailed model representation is used.

This paper describes solute transport modeling carried out as a part of an assessment of the long-term radiological safety of a planned deep rock repository for spent nuclear fuel in Forsmark, Sweden. Specifically, it presents transport modeling performed to locate and describe discharge areas for groundwater potentially carrying radionuclides from the repository to the surface where man and the environment could be affected by the contamination. The modeling results show that topography to large extent determines the discharge locations. Present and future lake and wetland objects are central for the radionuclide transport and dose calculations in the safety assessment. Results of detailed transport modeling focusing on the regolith and the upper part of the rock indicate that the identification of discharge areas and objects considered in the safety assessment is robust in the sense that it does not change when a more detailed model representation is used.

A numerical three-dimensional (3D) transient groundwaterflow model of the Death Valley region was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey for the U.S. Department of Energy programs at the Nevada Test Site and at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Decades of study of aspects of the groundwaterflow system and previous less extensive groundwaterflow models were incorporated and reevaluated together with new data to provide greater detail for the complex, digital model. A 3D digital hydrogeologic framework model (HFM) was developed from digital elevation models, geologic maps, borehole information, geologic and hydrogeologic cross sections, and other 3D models to represent the geometry of the hydrogeologic units (HGUs). Structural features, such as faults and fractures, that affect groundwaterflow also were added. The HFM represents Precambrian and Paleozoic crystalline and sedimentary rocks, Mesozoic sedimentary rocks, Mesozoic to Cenozoic intrusive rocks, Cenozoic volcanic tuffs and lavas, and late Cenozoic sedimentary deposits of the Death Valley regional groundwaterflow system (DVRFS) region in 27 HGUs. Information from a series of investigations was compiled to conceptualize and quantify hydrologic components of the groundwaterflow system within the DVRFS model domain and to provide hydraulic-property and head-observation data used in the calibration of the transient-flow model. These studies reevaluated natural groundwater discharge occurring through evapotranspiration (ET) and spring flow; the history of groundwater pumping from 1913 through 1998; groundwater recharge simulated as net infiltration; model boundary inflows and outflows based on regional hydraulic gradients and water budgets of surrounding areas; hydraulic conductivity and its relation to depth; and water levels appropriate for regional simulation of prepumped and pumped conditions within the DVRFS model domain. Simulation results appropriate for the regional extent and scale of the model were provided

This document describes the assembly, selection, and interpretation of hydrostratigraphic data for input to an updated groundwaterflow model for the General Separations Area (GSA; Figure 1) at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS). This report is one of several discrete but interrelated tasks that support development of an updated groundwater model (Bagwell and Flach, 2016).

A numerical three-dimensional (3D) transient ground-waterflow model of the Death Valley region was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey for the U.S. Department of Energy programs at the Nevada Test Site and at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Decades of study of aspects of the ground-waterflow system and previous less extensive ground-waterflow models were incorporated and reevaluated together with new data to provide greater detail for the complex, digital model. A 3D digital hydrogeologic framework model (HFM) was developed from digital elevation models, geologic maps, borehole information, geologic and hydrogeologic cross sections, and other 3D models to represent the geometry of the hydrogeologic units (HGUs). Structural features, such as faults and fractures, that affect ground-waterflow also were added. The HFM represents Precambrian and Paleozoic crystalline and sedimentary rocks, Mesozoic sedimentary rocks, Mesozoic to Cenozoic intrusive rocks, Cenozoic volcanic tuffs and lavas, and late Cenozoic sedimentary deposits of the Death Valley Regional Ground-WaterFlow System (DVRFS) region in 27 HGUs. Information from a series of investigations was compiled to conceptualize and quantify hydrologic components of the ground-waterflow system within the DVRFS model domain and to provide hydraulic-property and head-observation data used in the calibration of the transient-flow model. These studies reevaluated natural ground-water discharge occurring through evapotranspiration and spring flow; the history of ground-water pumping from 1913 through 1998; ground-water recharge simulated as net infiltration; model boundary inflows and outflows based on regional hydraulic gradients and water budgets of surrounding areas; hydraulic conductivity and its relation to depth; and water levels appropriate for regional simulation of prepumped and pumped conditions within the DVRFS model domain. Simulation results appropriate for the regional extent and scale of the model were

Age tracers are now used in New Zealand on regional scales for quantifying the impact and lag time of land use and climate change on the quantity and quality of available groundwater resources within the framework of the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2014. Age tracers provide measurable information on the dynamics of groundwater systems and reaction rates (e.g. denitrification), essential for conceptualising the regional groundwater - surface water system and informing the development of land use and groundwaterflow and transport models. In the Horizons Region of New Zealand, around 200 wells have tracer data available, including tritium, SF6, CFCs, 2H, 18O, Ar, N2, CH4 and radon. Well depths range from shallower wells in gravel aquifers in the Horowhenua and Tararua districts, and deeper wells in the aquifers between Palmerston North and Wanganui. Most of the groundwater samples around and north of the Manawatu River west of the Tararua ranges are extremely old (>100 years), even from relatively shallow wells, indicating that these groundwaters are relatively disconnected from fresh surface recharge. The groundwater wells in the Horowhenua tap into a considerably younger groundwater reservoir with groundwater mean residence time (MRT) of 10 - 40 years. Groundwater along the eastern side of the Tararua and Ruahine ranges is significantly younger, typically groundwater recharge rates, as deduced from groundwater depth and MRT, are extremely low in the central coastal area, consistent with confined groundwater systems, or with upwelling of old groundwater close to the coast. Very low vertical recharge rates along the Manawatu River west of the Manawatu Gorge indicate upwelling groundwater conditions in this area, implying groundwater discharge into the river is more likely here than loss of river water into the groundwater system. High recharge rates observed at several wells in the Horowhenua area and in the area east of the Tararua and

Full Text Available DOI: 10.17014/ijog.v6i3.123Due to the complex structure of the aquifer systems and its hydrogeological units related with the space in which groundwater occurs, groundwaterflows were calculated in three-dimensional method (3D Calculation. The geometrical descritization and iteration procedures were based on an integrated finite difference method. In this paper, all figures and graphs represent the results of the calibrated model. Hence, the model results were simulated by using the actual input data which were calibrated during the simulation runs. Groundwaterflow simulation of the model area of the Denpasar-Tabanan Groundwater Basin (Denpasar-Tabanan GB comprises steady state run, transient runs using groundwater abstraction in the period of 1989 (Qabs-1989 and period of 2009 (Qabs-2009, and prognosis run as well. Simulation results show, in general, the differences of calculated groundwater heads and observed groundwater heads at steady and transient states (Qabs-1989 and Qabs-2009 are relatively small. So, the groundwater heads situation simulated by the prognosis run (scenario Qabs-2012 are considerably valid and can properly be used for controlling the plan of groundwater utilization in Denpasar-Tabanan GB.

Models of groundwaterflow for the Yucca Flat area of the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) are under development by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for corrective action investigations of the Yucca Flat-Climax Mine Corrective Action Unit (CAU). One important aspect of these models is the quantity of inter-basin groundwaterflow from regional systems to the north. This component of flow, together with its uncertainty, must be properly accounted for in the CAU flow models to provide a defensible regional framework for calculations of radionuclide transport that will support determinations of the Yucca Flat-Climax Mine contaminant boundary. Because characterizing flow boundary conditions in northern Yucca Flat requires evaluation to a higher level of detail than the scale of the Yucca Flat-Climax Mine CAU model can efficiently provide, a study more focused on this aspect of the model was required.

Groundwaterflow in cold regions containing permafrost accelerates climate-warming-driven thaw and changes thaw patterns. Simulation analyses of groundwaterflow and heat transport with freeze/thaw in typical cold-regions terrain with nested flow indicate that early thaw rate is particularly enhanced by flow, the time when adverse environmental impacts of climate-warming-induced permafrost loss may be severest. For the slowest climate-warming rate predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), once significant groundwaterflow begins, thick permafrost layers can vanish in several hundred years, but survive over 1,000 years where flow is minimal. Large-scale thaw depends mostly on the balance of heat advection and conduction in the supra-permafrost zone. Surface-water bodies underlain by open taliks allow slow sub-permafrost flow, with lesser influence on regional thaw. Advection dominance over conduction depends on permeability and topography. Groundwaterflow around permafrost and flow through permafrost impact thaw differently; the latter enhances early thaw rate. Air-temperature seasonality also increases early thaw. Hydrogeologic heterogeneity and topography strongly affect thaw rates/patterns. Permafrost controls the groundwater/surface-water-geomorphology system; hence, prediction and mitigation of impacts of thaw on ecology, chemical exports and infrastructure require improved hydrogeology/permafrost characterization and understanding

In 2009-2012 at University of Latvia and Latvia University of Agriculture project "Establishment of interdisciplinary scientist group and modelling system for groundwater research" is implemented financed by the European Social Fund. The aim of the project is to develop groundwater research in Latvia by establishing interdisciplinary research group and modelling system covering groundwaterflow in the Baltic Sedimentary Basin. Researchers from fields like geology, chemistry, mathematical modelling, physics and environmental engineering are involved in the project. The modelling system is used as a platform for addressing scientific problems such as: (1) large-scale groundwaterflow in Baltic Sedimentary Basin and impact of human activities on it; (2) the evolution of groundwaterflow since the last glaciation and subglacial groundwater recharge; (3) the effects of climate changes on shallow groundwater and interaction of hydrographical network and groundwater; (4) new programming approaches for groundwater modelling. Within the frame of the project most accessible geological information such as description of geological wells, geological maps and results of seismic profiling in Latvia as well as Estonia and Lithuania are collected and integrated into modelling system. For example data form more then 40 thousands wells are directly used to automatically generate the geological structure of the model. Additionally a groundwater sampling campaign is undertaken. Contents of CFC, stabile isotopes of O and H and radiocarbon are the most significant parameters of groundwater that are established in unprecedented scale for Latvia. The most important modelling results will be published in web as a data set. Project number: 2009/0212/1DP/1.1.1.2.0/09/APIA/VIAA/060. Project web-site: www.puma.lu.lv

In this research, as the technique for grasping the behavior of groundwater in deep rock bed which is important as the factor of disturbing the natural barrier in the formation disposal of high level radioactive waste, the method of utilizing the environmental isotopes contained in groundwater as natural tracer was taken up, and by setting up the concrete field of investigation, through the forecast of flow by the two or three dimensional groundwaterflow analysis using a computer, the planning and execution of water sampling, the analysis of various environmental isotopes, the interpretation based on those results of measurement and so on, the effectiveness of the investigation technique used was verified, and the real state of the behavior of deep groundwater in the district being studied was clarified. In this research, Imaichi alluvial fan located in northern Kanto plain was taken as the object. In fiscal year 1996, three-dimensional steady state groundwaterflow simulation was carried out based on the data related to shallow groundwater and surface water systems, and the places where active groundwaterflow is expected were selected, and boring will be carried out there. The analysis model and the results are reported. (K.I.)

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — This digital dataset defines the surface traces of regional geologic structures designated as potential ground-waterflow barriers in an approximately 45,000...

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — This digital dataset defines the surface traces of regional geologic structures designated as potential ground-waterflow barriers in an approximately 45,000...

Assessing the migration potential of radionuclides leached from low-level radioactive waste (LLW) and decommissioning sites necessitates information on the effects of sorption and precipitation on the concentrations of dissolved radionuclides. Such an assessment requires that the geochemical processes of aqueous speciation, complexation, oxidation/reduction, and ion exchange be taken into account. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is providing technical support to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for defining the solubility and sorption behavior of radionuclides in soil/ground-water environments associated with engineered cementitious LLW disposal systems and decommissioning sites. Geochemical modeling is being used to predict solubility limits for radionuclides under geochemical conditions associated with these environments. The solubility limits are being used as maximum concentration limits in performance assessment calculations describing the release of contaminants from waste sources. Available data were compiled regarding the sorption potential of radionuclides onto {open_quotes}fresh{close_quotes} cement/concrete where the expected pH of the cement pore waters will equal to or exceed 10. Based on information gleaned from the literature, a list of preferred minimum distribution coefficients (Kd`s) was developed for these radionuclides. The K{sub d} values are specific to the chemical environments associated with the evolution of the compositions of cement/concrete pore waters.

Groundwater discharge into a seepage lake was investigated by combining flux measurements, hydrochemical tracers, geological information, and a telescopic modeling approach using first two-dimensional (2-D) regional then 2-D local flow and flow path models. Discharge measurements and hydrochemical...... with the lake remained under seemingly steady state conditions across seasons, a high spatial and temporal heterogeneity in the discharge to the lake was observed. The results showed that part of the groundwaterflowing from the west passes beneath the lake and discharges at the eastern shore, where groundwater...... springs and high discharge zones (HDZs) are observed at the lake bottom and at seepage faces adjacent to the lake. In the 2-D cross section, surface runoff from the seepage faces delivers 64% of the total groundwater inputs to the lake, and a 2 m wide offshore HDZ delivers 13%. Presence of HDZs may...

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — Zones in this data set represent spatially contiguous areas that influence ground-waterflow in the Death Valley regional ground-waterflow system (DVRFS), an...

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — This digital data set defines the boundary of the steady-state ground-waterflow model built by IT Corporation (1996). The regional, 20-layer ground-waterflow...

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — Zones in this data set represent spatially contiguous areas that influence ground-waterflow in the Death Valley regional ground-waterflow system (DVRFS), an...

The potential impact of long-term climate changes has to be evaluated with respect to repository performance and safety. In particular, glacial periods of advancing and retreating ice sheet and prolonged permafrost conditions are likely to occur over the repository site. The growth and decay of ice sheets and the associated distribution of permafrost will affect the groundwaterflow field and its composition. As large changes may take place, the understanding of groundwaterflow patterns in connection to glaciations is an important issue for the geological disposal at long term. During a glacial period, the performance of the repository could be weakened by some of the following conditions and associated processes: - Maximum pressure at repository depth (canister failure). - Maximum permafrost depth (canister failure, buffer function). - Concentration of groundwater oxygen (canister corrosion). - Groundwater salinity (buffer stability). - Glacially induced earthquakes (canister failure). Therefore, the GAP project aims at understanding key hydrogeological issues as well as answering specific questions: - Regional groundwaterflow system under ice sheet conditions. - Flow and infiltration conditions at the ice sheet bed. - Penetration depth of glacial meltwater into the bedrock. - Water chemical composition at repository depth in presence of glacial effects. - Role of the taliks, located in front of the ice sheet, likely to act as potential discharge zones of deep groundwaterflow. - Influence of permafrost distribution on the groundwaterflow system in relation to build-up and thawing periods. - Consequences of glacially induced earthquakes on the groundwaterflow system. Some answers will be provided by the field data and investigations; the integration of the information and the dynamic characterisation of the key processes will be obtained using numerical modelling. Since most of the data are not yet available, some scoping calculations are performed using the

This research aims to build upon past 2D tank light transmission methods to quantify real-time flow in unsaturated porous media, understand how exudates effect unstable flow patterns, and understand radionuclide mobility and dispersion in the subsurface. A 2D tank light transmission method was created using a transparent flow through tank coupled with a random rainfall simulator; a commercial LED light and a CMOS DSLR Nikon D5500 camera were used to capture the real-time flow images. The images were broken down from RGB into HVI and analyzed in Matlab to produce quantifiable data about finger formation and water saturation distribution. Radionuclide locations were determined via handheld gamma scanner. Water saturation along the vertical and horizontal profile (Matlab) was used to quantify the finger more objectively than by eye assessment alone. The changes in finger formation and speed of propagation between the control rain water (0.01M NaCl) and the solutions containing plant exudates illustrates that the plant exudates increased the wettability (mobility) of water moving through unsaturated porous media. This understanding of plant exudates effect on unsaturated flow is important for works studying how plants, their roots and exudates, may affect the mobility of radionuclides in unsaturated porous media. As there is an increase in exudate concentration, the mobility of the radionuclides due to changing flow pattern and available water content in porous media may be improved causing more dispersion in the porous media and intake into the plant. Changes in plant root exudation impact the distribution and density of radionuclides in the rhizosphere and vadose zone.

Two new exact solutions are presented for uniform unconfined groundwaterflow over a stepped base; one for a step down in the direction of flow, the other for a step up in the direction of flow. These are two-dimensional solutions of Laplace's equation in the vertical plane, and are derived using the hodograph method and conformal mappings on Riemann surfaces. The exact solutions are compared with approximate one-dimensional solutions which neglect the resistance to vertical flow. For small horizontal hydraulic gradients typical of regional groundwaterflow, little error is introduced by neglecting the vertical resistance to flow. This conclusion may be extended to two-dimensional analytical models in the horizontal plane, which neglect the vertical resistance to flow and treat the aquifer base as a series of flat steps.

The Geba basin is one of the most food-insecure areas of the Tigray regional state in northern Ethiopia due to recurrent drought resulting from erratic distribution of rainfall. Since the beginning of the 1990s, rain-fed agriculture has been supported through small-scale irrigation schemes mainly by surface-water harvesting, but success has been limited. Hence, use of groundwater for irrigation purposes has gained considerable attention. The main purpose of this study is to assess groundwater resources in the Geba basin by means of a MODFLOW modeling approach. The model is calibrated using observed groundwater levels, yielding a clear insight into the groundwaterflow systems and reserves. Results show that none of the hydrogeological formations can be considered as aquifers that can be exploited for large-scale groundwater exploitation. However, aquitards can be identified that can support small-scale groundwater abstraction for irrigation needs in regions that are either designated as groundwater discharge areas or where groundwater levels are shallow and can be tapped by hand-dug wells or shallow boreholes.

The Geba basin is one of the most food-insecure areas of the Tigray regional state in northern Ethiopia due to recurrent drought resulting from erratic distribution of rainfall. Since the beginning of the 1990s, rain-fed agriculture has been supported through small-scale irrigation schemes mainly by surface-water harvesting, but success has been limited. Hence, use of groundwater for irrigation purposes has gained considerable attention. The main purpose of this study is to assess groundwater resources in the Geba basin by means of a MODFLOW modeling approach. The model is calibrated using observed groundwater levels, yielding a clear insight into the groundwaterflow systems and reserves. Results show that none of the hydrogeological formations can be considered as aquifers that can be exploited for large-scale groundwater exploitation. However, aquitards can be identified that can support small-scale groundwater abstraction for irrigation needs in regions that are either designated as groundwater discharge areas or where groundwater levels are shallow and can be tapped by hand-dug wells or shallow boreholes.

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — This digital dataset defines the surface traces of regional features simulated as horizontal flow barriers in the Death Valley regional ground-waterflow system...

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — This digital dataset defines the surface traces of regional features simulated as horizontal flow barriers in the Death Valley regional ground-waterflow system...

The deep hydrogeologic system underlying the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) contains contaminants such as radionuclides, heavy metals, nitrates, and organic compounds. The groundwater in the deep system is saline and has been considered to be stagnant in previous studies. This study was designed to address the following questions: is groundwater in the deep system stagnant; is contaminant migration controlled by diffusion only or is advection a viable mechanism; where are the potential outlet points? On the basis of existing and newly collected data, the nature of saline groundwaterflow and potential discharge into shallow, freshwater systems was assessed. Data used for this purpose included (1) spatial and temporal pressures and hydraulic heads measured in the deep system, (2) hydraulic parameters of the formations in question, (3) spatial and temporal temperature variations at depth, and (4) spatial and temporal chemical and isotopic composition of the saline groundwater. The observations suggest that the saline water contained at depth is old but not isolated (in terms of recharge and discharge) from the overlying active, freshwater-bearing units. Influx of recent water does occur. Groundwater volumes involved in this flow are likely to be small. The origin of the saline groundwater was assessed by using existing and newly acquired chemical and isotopic data. The proposed model that best fits the data is modification of residual brine from which halite has been precipitated. Other models, such as ultrafiltration and halite dissolution, were also evaluated.

During IODP Expedition 313, three boreholes were drilled in the so-called New Jersey transect. Hydrochemical studies revealed the groundwater situation as more complex than expected, characterized by several sharp boundaries between fresh and saline groundwater. Two conflicting hypotheses regarding the nature of these freshwater reservoirs are currently debated. One hypothesis is that these reservoirs are connected with onshore aquifers and continuously recharged by seaward-flowinggroundwater. The second hypothesis is that fresh groundwater was emplaced during the last glacial period. In addition to the petrophysical properties measured during IODP 313 expedition, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) measurements were performed on samples from boreholes M0027, M0028 and M0029 in order to deduce porosities and permeabilities. These results are compared with data from alternative laboratory measurements and with petrophysical properties inferred from downhole logging data. We incorporate these results into a 2D numerical model that reflects the shelf architecture as known from drillings and seismic data to perform submarine groundwaterflow simulations. In order to account for uncertainties related to the spatial distribution of physical properties, such as porosity and permeability, systematic variation of input parameters was performed during simulation runs. The target is to test the two conflicting hypotheses of fresh groundwater emplacements offshore New Jersey and to improve the understanding of fluid flow processes at marine passive margins.

This report is a guide for executing numerical simulations with the transient ground-waterflow model of the Death Valley regional ground-waterflow system, Nevada and California using the U.S. Geological Survey modular finite-difference ground-waterflow model, MODFLOW-2000. Model inputs, including observations of hydraulic head, discharge, and boundary flows, are summarized. Modification of the DVRFS transient ground-water model is discussed for two common uses of the Death Valley regional ground-waterflow system model: predictive pumping scenarios that extend beyond the end of the model simulation period (1998), and model simulations with only steady-state conditions.

Evaluation of groundwater travel time (GWTT) is required as part of the investigation of the suitability of Yucca Mountain as a potential high-level nuclear-waste repository site. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission`s GWTT regulation is considered to be a measure of the intrinsic ability of the site to contain radionuclide releases from the repository. The work reported here is the first step in a program to provide an estimate of GWTT at the Yucca Mountain site in support of the DOE`s Technical Site Suitability and as a component of a license application. Preliminary estimation of the GWTT distribution in the unsaturated zone was accomplished using a numerical model of the physical processes of groundwaterflow in the fractured, porous medium of the bedrock. Based on prior investigations of groundwaterflow at the site, fractures are thought to provide the fastest paths for groundwaterflow; conditions that lead to flow in fractures were investigated and simulated. Uncertainty in the geologic interpretation of Yucca Mountain was incorporated through the use of geostatistical simulations, while variability of hydrogeologic parameters within each unit was accounted for by the random sampling of parameter probability density functions. The composite-porosity formulation of groundwaterflow was employed to simulate flow in both the matrix and fracture domains. In this conceptualization, the occurrence of locally saturated conditions within the unsaturated zone is responsible for the initiation of fast-path flow through fractures. The results of the GWTT-94 study show that heterogeneity in the hydraulic properties of the model domain is an important factor in simulating local regions of high groundwater saturation. Capillary-pressure conditions at the surface boundary influence the extent of the local saturation simulated.

During the last 15 y, by the Saluggia (Vercelli, Italy) nuclear site, episodes of contamination of the superficial groundwater happened due to artificial radionuclides. The local network of radiological monitoring around the nuclear site, managed by Arpa Piemonte from the late 1980s, highlighted the presence of (60)Co, (90)Sr, (137)Cs and (3)H during this period. The object of this paper was to give particular evidence not to analytical aspects, but to the methodical approach used to solve the problems that arose. In fact, the intrinsic hydro-geological vulnerability of the zone, the typology and conditions of the plants (all very old) and the presence of the 'Acquedotto del Monferrato' tap water well field, one of the most important in Piemonte, at approximately 2 km downstream of the site, made the situation very difficult to approach.

In 1983, high-level radioactive waste repository performance requirements related to groundwater travel time were defined by NRC subsystem regulation 10 CFR 60.113. Although DOE is not presently attempting to demonstrate compliance with that regulation, understanding of the prevalence of fast paths in the groundwaterflow system remains a critical element of any safety analyses for a potential repository system at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Therefore, this analysis was performed to allow comparison of fast-path flow against the criteria set forth in the regulation. Models developed to describe the conditions for initiation, propagation, and sustainability of rapid groundwater movement in both the unsaturated and saturated zones will form part of the technical basis for total- system analyses to assess site viability and site licensability. One of the most significant findings is that the fastest travel times in both unsaturated and saturated zones are in the southern portion of the potential repository, so it is recommended that site characterization studies concentrate on this area. Results support the assumptions regarding the importance of an appropriate conceptual model of groundwaterflow and the incorporation of heterogeneous material properties into the analyses. Groundwater travel times are sensitive to variation/uncertainty in hydrologic parameters and in infiltration flux at upper boundary of the problem domain. Simulated travel times are also sensitive to poorly constrained parameters of the interaction between flow in fractures and in the matrix.

Myocardial perfusion imaging is performed most commonly using Tc-99m-sestamibi or tetrofosmin SPECT as well as Rb-82-rubidium or N-13-ammonia PET. Diseased-to-normal tissue contrast is determined by the tracer retention fraction, which decreases nonlinearly with flow. Reduced tissue perfusion results in reduced tracer retention, but the severity of perfusion defects is typically underestimated by 20% to 40%. Compared to SPECT, retention of the PET tracers is more linearly related to flow, and therefore, the perfusion defects are measured more accurately using N-13-ammonia or Rb-82.

Analyzing field data from pumping tests, we show that as with many other natural phenomena, groundwaterflow exhibits a complex dynamics described by 1/f power spectrum. This result is theoretically studied within an agent perspective. Using a traveling agent model, we prove that this statistical behavior emerges when the medium is complex. Some heuristic reasoning is provided to justify both spatial and dynamic complexity, as the result of the superposition of an infinite number of stochastic processes. Even more, we show that this implies that non-Kolmogorovian probability is needed for its study, and provide a set of new partial differential equations for groundwaterflow.

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — This digital data set defines the boundary of the area contributing ground-waterflow to the Death Valley regional ground-waterflow-system (DVRFS) model domain. The...

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — This digital data set defines the boundary of the area contributing ground-waterflow to the Death Valley regional ground-waterflow-system (DVRFS) model domain....

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — This digital data set defines the model grid and infiltration values simulated in the transient ground-waterflow model of the Death Valley regional ground-water...

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — This digital data set defines the model grid and infiltration values simulated in the transient ground-waterflow model of the Death Valley regional ground-water...

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — This digital data set represents discharge areas in the Death Valley regional ground-waterflow system (DVRFS) transient model. Natural ground-water discharge...

Estimate the direct flow of groundwater to river is an important step in understanding of hydrodynamics in river system. Function of groundwater in river system does not limit to the mass of water. Continuous supply with thermally stable water from riverbed produces a space with unique condition, which provides various functions for organisms inhabiting in river as a shelter avoiding large shift of temperature, or to maintain productivity for small scale ecosystem by supplying nutrient rich groundwater if it gushes out from the riverbed in a deep pool of river. This may contribute to biodiversity of river system. Such function of groundwater is more significant for rivers run in island and in mountain zone. To evaluate the function of groundwaterflowing from riverbed we first try to find such site by using a drone equipped with a sensitive thermo-camera to detect water surface temperature. In the examined area temperature of the groundwater doesn't change much throughout a year at around 15 to 16 °C, while surface temperature of the examined river fluctuates from below 10 °C to over 25 °C throughout seasons. By using this difference in temperature between groundwater and river water we tried to find site where groundwater comes out from the riverbed. Obviously winter when surface temperature becomes below 10 °C is an appropriate season to find groundwater as it comes up to the surface of river with depth ranging from 1 to 3 m. Trial flight surveys of drone were conducted in Kano-river in Izu Peninsula located at southern foot of Mt. Fuji in central Japan. Employed drone was Inspire1 (DJI, China) equipped with a Thermal camera (Zenmuse XT ZXTA 19 FP, FLIR, USA) and operated by Kazuhide Juta (KELEK Co. Ltd., Japan) and Mitsuhiro Komiya (TAM.Co.,LTD). In contrast to the former cases with employing airplane for taking aerial photograph, drone takes photo while flying at a low-altitude. When it flies at 40m above the water surface of river, resolution is at an

This study is objected to characterize groundwaterflow and sorption processes of the contaminants (ground-water solutes) along the fractured crystalline rocks in Korea. Considering that crystalline rock mass is an essential condition for using underground space cannot be overemphasized the significance of the characterizing fractured crystalline rocks. the behavior of the groundwater contaminants is studied in related to the subsurface structure, and eventually a quantitative technique will be developed to evaluate the impacts of the contaminants on the subsurface environments. The study has been carried at the Samkwang mine area in the Chung-Nam Province. The site has Pre-Cambrian crystalline gneiss as a bedrock and the groundwaterflow system through the bedrock fractures seemed to be understandable with the study on the subsurface geologic structure through the mining tunnels. Borehole tests included core logging, televiewer logging, constant pressure fixed interval length tests and tracer tests. The results is summarized as follows; 1) To determine the hydraulic parameters of the fractured rock, the transient flow analysis produce better results than the steady - state flow analysis. 2) Based on the relationship between fracture distribution and transmissivities measured, the shallow part of the system could be considered as a porous and continuous medium due to the well developed fractures and weathering. However, the deeper part shows flow characteristics of the fracture dominant system, satisfying the assumptions of the Cubic law. 3) Transmissivities from the FIL test were averaged to be 6.12 x 10{sup -7}{sub m}{sup 2}{sub /s}. 4) Tracer tests result indicates groundwaterflow in the study area is controlled by the connection, extension and geometry of fractures in the bedrock. 5) Hydraulic conductivity of the tracer-test interval was in maximum of 7.2 x 10{sup -6}{sub m/sec}, and the effective porosity of 1.8 %. 6) Composition of the groundwater varies

This study is objected to characterize groundwaterflow and sorption processes of the contaminants (ground-water solutes) along the fractured crystalline rocks in Korea. Considering that crystalline rock mass is an essential condition for using underground space cannot be overemphasized the significance of the characterizing fractured crystalline rocks. the behavior of the groundwater contaminants is studied in related to the subsurface structure, and eventually a quantitative technique will be developed to evaluate the impacts of the contaminants on the subsurface environments. The study has been carried at the Samkwang mine area in the Chung-Nam Province. The site has Pre-Cambrian crystalline gneiss as a bedrock and the groundwaterflow system through the bedrock fractures seemed to be understandable with the study on the subsurface geologic structure through the mining tunnels. Borehole tests included core logging, televiewer logging, constant pressure fixed interval length tests and tracer tests. The results is summarized as follows; 1) To determine the hydraulic parameters of the fractured rock, the transient flow analysis produce better results than the steady - state flow analysis. 2) Based on the relationship between fracture distribution and transmissivities measured, the shallow part of the system could be considered as a porous and continuous medium due to the well developed fractures and weathering. However, the deeper part shows flow characteristics of the fracture dominant system, satisfying the assumptions of the Cubic law. 3) Transmissivities from the FIL test were averaged to be 6.12 x 10{sup -7}{sub m}{sup 2}{sub /s}. 4) Tracer tests result indicates groundwaterflow in the study area is controlled by the connection, extension and geometry of fractures in the bedrock. 5) Hydraulic conductivity of the tracer-test interval was in maximum of 7.2 x 10{sup -6}{sub m/sec}, and the effective porosity of 1.8 %. 6) Composition of the groundwater varies

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — This digital data set defines the subregions of the transient ground-waterflow model of the Death Valley regional ground-waterflow system (DVRFS). Subregions are...

Contamination by acid rock drainage was found at highway construction areas in Korea, where pyrites were included in materials to raise the ground level. To remediate the acid rock drainage, groundwaterflow direction and total flow rate were investigated in addition to the relationship between groundwater and surface water. Multiple boreholes were installed for geological structure surveys, pumping tests, slug test and tracer tests. Geological survey showed that a water-table aquifer system included a relatively homogeneous earthen layer and an underlying undisturbed alluvial layer. Transmissivity and storativity of the upper layer were investigated 0.1-2.6m2/day and 0.3 relatively by pumping tests. Hydraulic conductivity of the upper layer was investigated 0.1m/day by slug tests. Chloride ion was used in tracer tests, which included a natural gradient method and a push-pull method. In the natural gradient method, it was failed to detect chloride ion in groundwater. In the push-pull test, dispersivity ranges from 0.001m to 0.3m for several drift time. With the characteristic parameters from aquifer tests and tracer tests, numerical modeling techniques were used to evaluate groundwaterflow directions and rates. Boundary conditions were decided to reflect geological and geographical boundaries, like concrete barriers, water divides and rivers. Numerical simulations showed the differences between groundwaterflow before constructions and that after constructions. After the highway constructions are finished, groundwater direction changes seriously and total amount of the acid rock drainage is estimated 166.5m3/day. To find out the effect of precipitation changes, several numerical simulations were performed. It was shown that total amount of the acid rock drainage ranges from 73.8m3/day in the dry season to 323.6m3/day in the rainy season.

Full Text Available In the field of computational fluid dynamics, the finite volume method is dominant over other numerical techniques like the finite difference and finite element methods because the underlying physical quantities are conserved at the discrete level. In the present study, the finite volume method is used to solve an isotropic transient groundwaterflow model to obtain hydraulic heads and flow through an aquifer. The objective is to discuss the theory of finite volume method and its applications in groundwaterflow modelling. To achieve this, an orthogonal grid with quadrilateral control volumes has been used to simulate the model using mixed boundary conditions from Bwaise III, a Kampala Surburb. Results show that flow occurs from regions of high hydraulic head to regions of low hydraulic head until a steady head value is achieved.

Mixing and dispersion in groundwater systems are dominated by spatial heterogeneity and temporal flow fluctuations. It has been found that fluctuations parallel to the main flow directions only mildly impact on solute dispersion and have little influence on mixing if the medium is homogeneous (de Dreuzy et al., 2007; Kinzelbach and Ackerer, 1986; Goode and Konikow, 1990). However, most these findings were obtained under the pseudo steady state assumption, that is zero storativity, which implies an instantaneous flow response to hydraulic perturbation. With non-zero storativity, fluctuations in the flow boundary conditions propagate through the aquifer with a finite speed, which leads to a more complex time-dependent flow field. This is particularly important for tidally dominated coastal aquifers where accurate quantification of mixing is essential for achieving ground-water sustainability. The strategic objective of this study is to identify the interplay between temporal fluctuations, storativity and mixing. We perform two and three-dimensional simulations of transient flow and solute transport under velocity-dependent local scale dispersion. Mixing is characterized by the spatial moments of concentration. The enhanced solute mixing is quantified by an apparent dispersion coefficient. We systematically analyze the dependence of this dispersion coefficient on fluctuation amplitude, period, as well as storativity. Most importantly, we find that solute dispersion increases consistently with storativity. This may have important implications for the understanding of mixing and reaction processes in unconfined groundwater systems. References: -de Dreuzy, J-R. ; Carrera, J. ; Dentz, M. ; Le Borgne, T. (2012) Asymptotic dispersion for two-dimensional highly heterogeneous permeability fields under temporally fluctuating flow, Water Resour. Res., 48, W01532 -Kinzelbach, W., and P. Ackerer (1986), Mode'isation de la propagation d'un contaminant dans un champ d

This work comprises of the complementary simulations to the previous groundwaterflow analysis at the Olkiluoto site. The objective is to study the effects of flow porosity, conceptual model for solute transport, fracture zones, land uplift and initial conditions on the results. The numerical simulations are carried out up to 10000 years into the future employing the same modelling approach and site-specific flow and transport model as in the previous work except for the differences in the case descriptions. The result quantities considered are the salinity and the driving force in the vicinity of the repository. The salinity field and the driving force are sensitive to the flow porosity and the conceptual model for solute transport. Ten-fold flow porosity and the dual-porosity approach retard the transport of solutes in the bedrock resulting in brackish groundwater conditions at the repository at 10000 years A.P. (in the previous work the groundwater in the repository turned into fresh). The higher driving forces can be attributed to the higher concentration gradients resulting from the opposite effects of the land uplift, which pushes fresh water deeper and deeper into the bedrock, and the higher flow porosity and the dual-porosity model, which retard the transport of solutes. The cases computed (unrealistically) without fracture zones and postglacial land uplift show that they both have effect on the results and can not be ignored in the coupled and transient groundwaterflow analyses. The salinity field and the driving force are also sensitive to the initial salinity field especially at the beginning during the first 500 years A.P. The sensitivity will, however, diminish as soon as fresh water dilutes brackish and saline water and decreases the concentration gradients. Fresh water conditions result in also a steady state for the driving force in the repository area. (orig.)

The Waste Area Grouping 5 (WAG5) site at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has a potential to be a field site for evaluating the effectiveness of various bioremediation approaches and strategies. The site has been well studied in terms of its geological and geochemical properties over the past decade. However, despite the importance of microorganisms in bioremediation processes, the microbiological populations at the WAG5 site and their potential in bioremediation have not been similarly evaluated. In this study, we initiated research to characterize the microbial populations in WAG5 groundwater. Approximately 100 isolates from WAG5 groundwater were isolated and selected based on colony morphology. Fifty-five unique isolates were identified by BOX-PCR and subjected to further characterization. 16S rRNA sequences indicated that these isolates belong to seventeen bacterial genera including Alcaligenes (1 isolate), Aquamonas (1), Aquaspirillum (1), Bacillus (10), Brevundimonas (5), Caulobacter (7), Dechloromonas (2), Janibacter (1), Janthinobacterium (2), Lactobacillus (1), Paenibacillus (4), Pseudomonas (9), Rhodoferax (1), Sphingomonas (1), Stenotrophomonas (6), Variovorax (2), and Zoogloea (1). Metal respiration assays identified several isolates, which phylogenically belong or are close to Caulobacter, Stenotrophomonas, Bacillus, Paenibacillus and Pseudomonas, capable of reducing Co(III)EDTA- to Co(II)EDTA{sup 2-} using the defined M1 medium under anaerobic conditions. In addition, using WAG5 groundwater directly as the inoculants, we found that organisms associated with WAG5 groundwater can reduce both Fe(III) and Co(III) under anaerobic conditions. Further assays were then performed to determine the optimal conditions for Co(III) reduction. These assays indicated that addition of various electron donors including ethanol, lactate, methanol, pyruvate, and acetate resulted in metal reduction. These experiments will provide useful background information for future

Mortandad Canyon is a discharge site for treated industrial effluents containing radionuclides and other chemicals at Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico. This study was conducted to develop an understanding of the unsaturated hydrologic behavior below the canyon floor. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the hypothetical performance of the vadose zone above the water table. Numerical simulations of unsaturated groundwaterflow at the site were conducted using the Finite Element Heat and Mass Transfer (FEHM) code. A two-dimensional cross-section along the canyon's axis was used to model flow between an alluvial groundwater system and the regional aquifer approximately 300 m below. Using recharge estimated from a water budget developed in 1967, the simulations showed waters from the perched water table reaching the regional aquifer in 13.8 years, much faster than previously thought. Additionally, simulations indicate that saturation is occurring in the Guaje pumice bed an d that the Tshirege Unit 1B is near saturation. Lithologic boundaries between the eight materials play an important role in flow and solute transport within the system. Horizontal flow is shown to occur in three thin zones above capillary barriers; however, vertical flow dominates the system. Other simulations were conducted to examine the effects of changing system parameters such as varying recharge inputs, varying the distribution of recharge, and bypassing fast-path fractured basalt of uncertain extent and properties. System sensitivity was also explored by changing model parameters with respect to size and types of grids and domains, and the presence of dipping stratigraphy.

The water erosion prediction project (WEPP) model is a physically-based hydrology and erosion model. In recent years, the hydrology prediction within the model has been improved for forest watershed modeling by incorporating shallow lateral flow into watershed runoff prediction. This has greatly improved WEPP's hydrologic performance on small watersheds with...

Groundwaterflow in carbonate rocks is controlled by many factors such as degree of fracture and pore development, weathering and diagenesis. Among these factors, fracture is main factor and can form main flow path. Also, flow patterns in carbonate area are decided by these factors. This study was performed to understand factors controlling permeability and flow patterns in carbonate area and to evaluate correlation between permeability and flow patterns. Data used in this study were collected from many literatures and these data were analyzed and evaluated using graphic and statistical analysis. In many carbonate areas, branching conduit patterns were dominant. Of these areas, permeability was relatively high in areas where moving distance of flow was short and hydraulic gradient was steep. This work was supported by the Energy Resources R&D program of the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) grant funded by the Korea government Ministry of Knowledge Economy (No. 2009201030001A).

The computer program PHAST (PHREEQC And HST3D) simulates multicomponent, reactive solute transport in three-dimensional saturated groundwaterflow systems. PHAST is a versatile groundwaterflow and solute-transport simulator with capabilities to model a wide range of equilibrium and kinetic geochemical reactions. The flow and transport calculations are based on a modified version of HST3D that is restricted to constant fluid density and constant temperature. The geochemical reactions are simulated with the geochemical model PHREEQC, which is embedded in PHAST. Major enhancements in PHAST Version 2 allow spatial data to be defined in a combination of map and grid coordinate systems, independent of a specific model grid (without node-by-node input). At run time, aquifer properties are interpolated from the spatial data to the model grid; regridding requires only redefinition of the grid without modification of the spatial data. PHAST is applicable to the study of natural and contaminated groundwater systems at a variety of scales ranging from laboratory experiments to local and regional field scales. PHAST can be used in studies of migration of nutrients, inorganic and organic contaminants, and radionuclides; in projects such as aquifer storage and recovery or engineered remediation; and in investigations of the natural rock/water interactions in aquifers. PHAST is not appropriate for unsaturated-zone flow, multiphase flow, or density-dependent flow. A variety of boundary conditions are available in PHAST to simulate flow and transport, including specified-head, flux (specified-flux), and leaky (head-dependent) conditions, as well as the special cases of rivers, drains, and wells. Chemical reactions in PHAST include (1) homogeneous equilibria using an ion-association or Pitzer specific interaction thermodynamic model; (2) heterogeneous equilibria between the aqueous solution and minerals, ion exchange sites, surface complexation sites, solid solutions, and gases; and

In addition to variable density flow, the lateral and vertical heterogeneity of submarine sediments creates important controls on coastal aquifer systems. Submarine confining units produce semi-confined offshore aquifers that are recharged on shore. These low-permeability deposits are usually either late Pleistocene to Holocene in age, or date to the period of the last interglacial highstand. Extensive confining units consisting of peat form in tropical mangrove swamps, and in salt marshes and freshwater marshes and swamps at mid-latitudes. At higher latitudes, fine-grained glaciomarine sediments are widespread. The net effect of these shallow confining units is that groundwater from land often flows farther offshore before discharging than would normally be expected. In many settings, the presence of such confining units is critical to determining how and where pollutants from land will be discharged into coastal waters. Alternatively, these confining units may also protect fresh groundwater supplies from saltwater intrusion into coastal wells.

The Assessment of Effectiveness of Geologic Isolation Systems (AEGIS) Program is developing and applying the methodology for assessing the far-field, long-term post-closure safety of deep geologic nuclear waste repositories. AEGIS is being performed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) under contract with the Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation (OWNI) for the Department of Energy (DOE). One task within AEGIS is the development of methodology for analysis of the consequences (water pathway) from loss of repository containment as defined by various release scenarios. Analysis of the long-term, far-field consequences of release scenarios requires the application of numerical codes which simulate the hydrologic systems, model the transport of released radionuclides through the hydrologic systems to the biosphere, and, where applicable, assess the radiological dose to humans. Hydrologic and transport models are available at several levels of complexity or sophistication. Model selection and use are determined by the quantity and quality of input data. Model development under AEGIS and related programs provides three levels of hydrologic models, two levels of transport models, and one level of dose models (with several separate models). This is the third of 3 volumes of the description of the VTT (Variable Thickness Transient) Groundwater Hydrologic Model - second level (intermediate complexity) two-dimensional saturated groundwaterflow.

A new filter to separate base flow from streamflow has developed that uses observed groundwater levels. To relate the base flow to the observed groundwater levels, a non-linear relation was used. This relation is suitable for unconfined aquifers with deep groundwater levels that do not respond to

A new filter to separate base flow from streamflow has developed that uses observed groundwater levels. To relate the base flow to the observed groundwater levels, a non-linear relation was used. This relation is suitable for unconfined aquifers with deep groundwater levels that do not respond to in

ShowFlow was created to provide a user-friendly, intuitive environment for researchers and students who use computer modeling software. What traditionally has been a workplace available only to those familiar with command-line based computer systems is now within reach of almost anyone interested in the subject of modeling. In the case of this edition of ShowFlow, the user can easily experiment with simulations using the steady state gaussian plume groundwater pollutant transport model SSGPLUME, though ShowFlow can be rewritten to provide a similar interface for any computer model. Included in this thesis is all the source code for both the ShowFlow application for Microsoft{reg sign} Windows{trademark} and the SSGPLUME model, a User's Guide, and a Developer's Guide for converting ShowFlow to run other model programs. 18 refs., 13 figs.

Numerical modeling is of crucial importance in understanding the behavior of regional groundwater system. However, the demand on modeling capability is intensive when performing high-resolution simulation over long time span. This paper presents the application of a parallel pro-gram to speed up the detailed modeling of the groundwaterflow system in the North China Plain. The parallel program is implemented by rebuilding the well-known MODFLOW program on our parallel- computing framework, which is achieved by designing patch-based parallel data structures and algo-rithms but maintaining the compute flow and functionalities of MODFLOW. The detailed model with more than one million grids and a decade of time has been solved. The parallel simulation results were examined against the field observed data and these two data are generally in good agreement. For the comparison on solution time, the parallel program running on 32 cores is 6 times faster than the fastest MICCG-based MODFLOW program and 11 times faster than the GMG-based MODFLOW program. Therefore, remarkable computational time can be saved when using the parallel program, which facili-tates the rapid modeling and prediction of the groundwaterflow system in the North China Plain.

This report summarizes the findings of a geochemical investigation of the Pahute Mesa-Oasis Valley groundwaterflow system in southwestern Nevada. It is intended to provide geochemical data and interpretations in support of flow and contaminant transport modeling for the Western and Central Pahute Mesa Corrective Action Units.

Radionuclide and metal contaminants such as 90Sr are present beneath U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) lands in both the groundwater (e.g., 100-N area at Hanford, WA) and vadose zone (e.g., Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory). In situ containment and stabilization of these contaminants is a cost-effective treatment strategy. However, implementing in situ containment and stabilization approaches requires definition of the mechanisms that control contaminant sequestration. We are investigating the in situ immobilization of radionuclides or contaminant metals (e.g., 90Sr) by their facilitated co-precipitation with calcium carbonate in groundwater and vadose zone systems. Our facilitated approach, shown schematically in Figure 1, relies upon the hydrolysis of introduced urea to cause the acceleration of calcium carbonate precipitation (and trace metal co-precipitation) by increasing pH and alkalinity. Subsurface urea hydrolysis is catalyzed by the urease enzyme, which may be either introduced with the urea or produced in situ by ubiquitous subsurface urea hydrolyzing microorganisms. Because the precipitation process tends to be irreversible and many western aquifers are saturated with respect to calcite, the co-precipitated metals and radionuclides will be effectively removed from the aqueous phase over the long-term. Another advantage of the ureolysis approach is that the ammonium ions produced by the reaction can exchange with radionuclides sorbed to subsurface minerals, thereby enhancing the availability of the radionuclides for re-capture in a more stable solid phase (co-precipitation rather than adsorption).

Radionuclide and metal contaminants such as strontium-90 are present beneath U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) lands in both the groundwater (e.g., 100-N area at Hanford, WA) and vadose zone (e.g., Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory). In situ containment and stabilization of these contaminants is a cost-effective treatment strategy. However, implementing in situ containment and stabilization approaches requires definition of the mechanisms that control contaminant sequestration. We are investigating the in situ immobilization of radionuclides or contaminant metals (e.g., strontium-90) by their facilitated co-precipitation with calcium carbonate in groundwater and vadose zone systems. Our facilitated approach, shown schematically in Figure 1, relies upon the hydrolysis of introduced urea to cause the acceleration of calcium carbonate precipitation (and trace metal co-precipitation) by increasing pH and alkalinity. Subsurface urea hydrolysis is catalyzed by the urease enzyme, which may be either introduced with the urea or produced in situ by ubiquitous subsurface urea hydrolyzing microorganisms. Because the precipitation process tends to be irreversible and many western aquifers are saturated with respect to calcite, the co-precipitated metals and radionuclides will be effectively removed from the aqueous phase over the long-term. Another advantage of the ureolysis approach is that the ammonium ions produced by the reaction can exchange with radionuclides sorbed to subsurface minerals, thereby enhancing the availability of the radionuclides for re-capture in a more stable solid phase (co-precipitation rather than adsorption).

The amount of water withdrawn by wells is one of the quantitative variables that can be applied to estimate groundwater resources and further evaluate the human influence on ground-water systems. The accuracy for the calculation of the amount of water withdrawal significantly in-fluences the regional groundwater resource evaluation and management. However, the decentralized groundwater pumping, inefficient management, measurement errors and uncertainties have resulted in considerable errors in the groundwater withdrawal estimation. In this study, to improve the esti-mation of the groundwater withdrawal, an innovative approach was proposed using an inversion method based on a regional groundwaterflow numerical model, and this method was then applied in the North China Plain. The principle of the method was matching the simulated water levels with the observation ones by adjusting the amount of groundwater withdrawal. In addition, uncertainty analysis of hydraulic conductivity and specific yield for the estimation of the groundwater with-drawal was conducted. By using the proposed inversion method, the estimated annual average groundwater withdrawal was approximately 24.92×109 m3 in the North China Plain from 2002 to 2008. The inversion method also significantly improved the simulation results for both hydrograph and the flow field. Results of the uncertainty analysis showed that the hydraulic conductivity was more sensitive to the inversion results than the specific yield.

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — This digital data set defines the boundary of the steady-state ground-waterflow model built by IT Corporation (1996). The regional, 20-layer ground-waterflow model...

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — This digital data set defines the altitudes of the tops of 16 model layers simulated in the Death Valley regional ground-waterflow system (DVRFS) transient flow...

A three-dimensional numerical model of groundwaterflow was constructed for the Columbia Plateau Regional Aquifer System (CPRAS), Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, to evaluate and test the conceptual model of the system and to evaluate groundwater availability. The model described in this report can be used as a tool by water-resource managers and other stakeholders to quantitatively evaluate proposed alternative management strategies and assess the long‑term availability of groundwater. The numerical simulation of groundwaterflow in the CPRAS was completed with support from the Groundwater Resources Program of the U.S. Geological Survey Office of Groundwater.

Underground structures have been shown to have a great influence on subsoil resources in urban aquifers. A methodology to assess the actual and the potential state of the groundwaterflow in an urban area is proposed. The study develops a three-dimensional modeling approach to understand the cumulative impacts of underground infrastructures on urban groundwaterflow, using a case in the city of Lyon (France). All known underground structures were integrated in the numerical model. Several simulations were run: the actual state of groundwaterflow, the potential state of groundwaterflow (without underground structures), an intermediate state (without impervious structures), and a transient simulation of the actual state of groundwaterflow. The results show that underground structures fragment groundwaterflow systems leading to a modification of the aquifer regime. For the case studied, the flow systems are shown to be stable over time with a transient simulation. Structures with drainage systems are shown to have a major impact on flow systems. The barrier effect of impervious structures was negligible because of the small hydraulic gradient of the area. The study demonstrates that the definition of a potential urban groundwaterflow and the depiction of urban flow systems, which involves understanding the impact of underground structures, are important issues with respect to urban underground planning.

A regional, two-dimensional, steady-state groundwater-flow model was developed to simulate the groundwater-flow system and groundwater/surface-water interactions within the Menominee Indian Reservation. The model was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, to contribute to the fundamental understanding of the region’s hydrogeology. The objectives of the regional model were to improve understanding of the groundwater-flow system, including groundwater/surface-water interactions, and to develop a tool suitable for evaluating the effects of potential regional water-management programs. The computer code GFLOW was used because of the ease with which the model can simulate groundwater/surface-water interactions, provide a framework for simulating regional groundwater-flow systems, and be refined in a stepwise fashion to incorporate new data and simulate groundwater-flow patterns at multiple scales. Simulations made with the regional model reproduce groundwater levels and stream base flows representative of recent conditions (1970–2013) and illustrate groundwater-flow patterns with maps of (1) the simulated water table and groundwater-flow directions, (2) probabilistic areas contributing recharge to high-capacity pumped wells, and (3) estimation of the extent of infiltrated wastewater from treatment lagoons.

allow for the groundwaterflow and transport modeling at the large scale and could be successively linked to some more site-specific transport multi-reactive models focused on the modeling of some specific contaminants.

The work describing numerical groundwaterflow modelling at the Romuvaara site serves as a background report for the safety assessment TILA-99. The site scale can roughly be taken as the scale of detailed borehole investigations, which have probed the bedrock of Romuvaara over about 2 km{sup 2} large and 1 km deep volume. The site model in this work covers an area of about 12 km{sup 2}. The depth of the model is 2200 m. The site scale flow modelling produced characteristics of the deep groundwaterflow and evaluated the impact of a spent fuel repository on the natural groundwaterflow conditions. It treated the hydraulic gradient in the intact rock between the repository and the fracture zone nearest to it (about 50 m off) for the block scale model, which describes the groundwaterflow on the repository scale. The result quantities were the hydraulic head h (as the base quantity) and its gradient in selected cross sections and fracture zones, the flow rates around the repository, flow paths and discharge areas of the water from the repository. Two repository layouts were discussed. The numerical simulations were performed with the FEFTRA code based on the porous medium concept and the finite element method. The regional model with a no-flow boundary condition at the bottom and on the lateral edges was firstly used to confirm the hydraulic head boundary condition on the lateral edges of an interior site model (having a no-flow boundary condition at the bottom). The groundwater table was used as the hydraulic head boundary condition at the surface of each model. Both the conductivity of the bedrock (modeled with three-dimensional elements) and the transmissivities of the fracture zones (described with two-dimensional elements in the three-dimensional mesh) decreased as a function of the depth. All the results were derived from the site model. The range of variation of the hydraulic gradient immediately outside the repository was studied in the direction of the flow

Full Text Available The study focused on the seepage of uranium from unlined tailing dams into the alluvial aquifer in the Gawib River floodplain in Namibia where the region solely relies on groundwater for its economic activities as a result of arid climatic condition. The study reviewed previous works besides water sample collection and analyses for major ions, metals and environmental isotopes in addition to field tests on physico-chemical parameters (pH, Electrical Conductivity, Redox and T. Estimation of seepage velocity (true velocity of groundwaterflow has been conducted in order to understand the extent of radioactive plume transport. The hydrochemistry, stable isotopes and tritium results show that there is uranium contamination from the unlined uranium tailings in the Gawib shallow aquifer system which suggests high permeability of the alluvial aquifer facilitating groundwaterflow in the arid region. The radioactive contaminants could spread into the deeper aquifer system through the major structures such as joints and faults. The contamination plume could also spread downstream into the Swakop River unless serious interventions are employed. There is also a very high risk of the plume to reach the Atlantic Ocean through seasonal flash floods that occurs in the area.

The Nopal I uranium ore deposit at Pena Blanca, Mexico, located at > 200 meters above the groundwater table, provides an ideal natural analog for quantifying the effectiveness of geological barrier for isolation of radioactive waste nuclides from reaching the human environments through ground water transport. To fulfill such natural analog studies, three wells (PB1, PB2, and PB3 respectively) were drilled at the site from the land surface down to the saturated groundwater zone and ground waters were collected from each of these wells through large- volume sampling/in-situ Mn-filter filtration for analyses of short-lived uranium/thorium-series radionuclides. Our measurements from PB1 show that the groundwater standing in the hole has much lower 222Rn activity than the freshly pumped groundwater. From this change in 222Rn activity, we estimate the residence time of groundwater in PB1 to be about 20 days. Our measurements also show that the activities of short-lived radioisotopes of Th (234Th), Ra (228Ra, 224Ra, 223Ra), Rn (222Rn), Pb (210Pb), and Po (210Po) in PB1, PB2, and PB3 are all significantly higher than those from the other wells near the Nopal I site. These high activities provide evidence for the enrichment of long-lived U and Ra isotopes in the groundwater as well as in the associated adsorbed phases on the fractured aquifer rocks underneath the ore deposit. Such enrichment suggests a rapid dissolution of U and Ra isotopes from the uranium ore deposit in the vadose zone and the subsequent migration to the groundwater underneath. A reactive transport model can be established to characterize the in-situ transport of radionuclides at the site. The observed change of 222Rn activity at PB1 also suggests that the measured high radioactivityies in ground waters from the site isare not an artifact of drilling operations. However, further studies are needed to assess if or to what extent the radionuclide migration is affected by the previous mining activities at

Closed-form solutions for the stresses and deformations induced in the ground and tunnel liner are provided for a deep tunnel in a transversely anisotropic elastic rock, with anisotropic permeability, when subjected to groundwater seepage. Complex variable theory and conformal mapping are used to obtain the solutions; additional complex functions, necessary to prevent multiple solutions of the displacements, are included. The analytical solutions are verified by comparing their results from those of a finite element method. Simplified formulations are presented for tunnels with a perfectly flexible and completely incompressible liner. A spreadsheet is included that can be used to obtain stresses and displacements of the liner due to groundwaterflow and far-field geostatic stresses.

A new groundwaterflow model for Dane County, Wisconsin, replaces an earlier model developed in the 1990s by the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey (WGNHS) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). This modeling study was conducted cooperatively by the WGNHS and the USGS with funding from the Capital Area Regional Planning Commission (CARPC). Although the overall conceptual model of the groundwater system remains largely unchanged, the incorporation of newly acquired high-quality datasets, recent research findings, and improved modeling and calibration techniques have led to the development of a more detailed and sophisticated model representation of the groundwater system. The new model is three-dimensional and transient, and conceptualizes the county’s hydrogeology as a 12-layer system including all major unlithified and bedrock hydrostratigraphic units and two high-conductivity horizontal fracture zones. Beginning from the surface down, the model represents the unlithified deposits as two distinct model layers (1 and 2). A single layer (3) simulates the Ordovician sandstone and dolomite of the Sinnipee, Ancell, and Prairie du Chien Groups. Sandstone of the Jordan Formation (layer 4) and silty dolostone of the St. Lawrence Formation (layer 5) each comprise separate model layers. The underlying glauconitic sandstone of the Tunnel City Group makes up three distinct layers: an upper aquifer (layer 6), a fracture feature (layer 7), and a lower aquifer (layer 8). The fracture layer represents a network of horizontal bedding-plane fractures that serve as a preferential pathway for groundwaterflow. The model simulates the sandstone of the Wonewoc Formation as an upper aquifer (layer 9) with a bedding-plane fracture feature (layer 10) at its base. The Eau Claire aquitard (layer 11) includes shale beds within the upper portion of the Eau Claire Formation. This layer, along with overlying bedrock units, is mostly absent in the preglacially eroded valleys along

As a part of the license application for a final repository for spent nuclear fuel at Forsmark, the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) has undertaken a series of groundwaterflow modelling studies. These represent time periods with different hydraulic conditions and the simulations carried out contribute to the overall evaluation of the repository design and long-term radiological safety. The modelling study reported here presents calculated inflow rates, drawdown of the groundwater table and upconing of deep saline water for different levels of grouting efficiency during the excavation and operational phases of a final repository at Laxemar. The inflow calculations were accompanied by a sensitivity study, which among other matters handled the impact of different deposition hole rejection criteria. The report also presents tentative modelling results for the duration of the saturation phase, which starts once the used parts of the repository are being backfilled

Precipitation near Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) averages 132 cm/yr. About 76 cm/yr of water is consumed by evapotranspiration. The natural streamflow, which averages 56 cm/yr of water, consists of overland flow (about 21 cm/yr) from water bodies, wetlands, and impervious areas of groundwater discharge (about 35 cm/yr of water). Groundwater occurs in a stormflow zone that extends from the land surface to a depth of 0.3-2 m and in shallow and deeper aquifers that extend from the water table to the base of fresh water. in the stormflow zone, most water flows through macropores and mesopores, which have a volumetric porosity of about 0.002. In the vadose zone and below the water table, water flows through fractures that have a volumetric porosity in the range 1 x 10{sup -5} to 0.02. Water inflow occurs by precipitation and infiltration. infiltration that exceeds the soil water deficit forms a perched water table in the stormflow zone at the level where infiltration rate exceeds vertical hydraulic conductivity. Some water percolates down to the water table but the majority flows downslope to the streams. Recharge of the shallow aquifer is only about 3.2 cm/yr of water or 5.7% of streamflow. Most of the water that recharges the shallow aquifer is discharged by evapotranspiration above the water table. The remainder is discharged at springs and streams where the water table is within the stormflow zone. Digital models that permit unsaturated conditions and transient flows may be more appropriate than steady-state models of saturated flow for the ORNL area.

Flow, solute transport and pollution remediation through attenuation in unconsolidated porous media were investigated in this study. The variables used in the investigation include soil texture, porosity, topography and hydraulic conductivity. The study revealed that hydraulic conductivity is highly dependent on soil texture, porosity and topography.Hydraulic conductivity was noted to have a controlling influence on groundwaterflow and residence time, and the degree of natural attenuation in hydrogeologic systems. Contaminant transport simulated with the MODFLOW Model revealed dominance of advective transport of contaminants in unconsolidated porous media. However, attenuation through sorption (linear isotherm equilibrium controlled) and reaction (first-order irreversible decay) also retarded contaminant plume migration. Thus natural attenuation was found to be highly feasible in clay formations due to low hydraulic conductivity and long groundwater residence times. Though natural attenuation processes including dispersion, diffusion, dilution, mixing, volatilization and biodegradation were not investigated for in this paper, it is shown to be a sound remediation technique of contaminated ground water due to its capacity to destroy or transform contaminants or at least retard their flow.

The groundwaterflow system of the Nevada Test Site and surrounding region was evaluated to estimate the highest potential current and near-term risk to the public and the environment from groundwater contamination downgradient of the underground nuclear testing areas. The highest, or greatest, potential risk is estimated by assuming that several unusually rapid transport pathways as well as public and environmental exposures all occur simultaneously. These conservative assumptions may cause risks to be significantly overestimated. However, such a deliberate, conservative approach ensures that public health and environmental risks are not underestimated and allows prioritization of future work to minimize potential risks. Historical underground nuclear testing activities, particularly detonations near or below the water table, have contaminated groundwater near testing locations with radioactive and nonradioactive constituents. Tritium was selected as the contaminant of primary concern for this phase of the project because it is abundant, highly mobile, and represents the most significant contributor to the potential radiation dose to humans for the short term. It was also assumed that the predicted risk to human health and the environment from tritium exposure would reasonably represent the risk from other, less mobile radionuclides within the same time frame. Other contaminants will be investigated at a later date. Existing and newly collected hydrogeologic data were compiled for a large area of southern Nevada and California, encompassing the Nevada Test Site regional groundwaterflow system. These data were used to develop numerical groundwaterflow and tritium transport models for use in the prediction of tritium concentrations at hypothetical human and ecological receptor locations for a 200-year time frame. A numerical, steady-state regional groundwaterflow model was developed to serve as the basis for the prediction of the movement of tritium from the

The work describing numerical groundwaterflow modelling at the Kivetty site serves as a background report for the safety assessment TILA-99. The site scale can roughly be taken as the scale of detailed borehole investigations, which have probed the bedrock of Kivetty over about 3 km{sup 2} large and 1 km deep volume. The site model in this work covers an area of about 16 km{sup 2}. The depth of the model is 2000 m. The site scale flow modelling produced characteristics of the deep groundwaterflow both under the natural conditions and in the case of a spent fuel repository. The hydraulic gradient in the intact rock between the repository and the fracture zone nearest to it (about 50 m off) was assessed for the block scale model. The result quantities were the hydraulic head h (as the base quantity) and its gradient in selected cross sections and fracture zones, the flow rates around the repository, flow paths and discharge areas of the water from the repository. Two repository layouts were discussed. The numerical simulations were performed with the FEFTRA code based on the porous medium concept and the finite element method. The regional model with a no-flow boundary condition at the bottom and on the lateral edges was firstly used to confirm the hydraulic head boundary condition on the lateral edges of an interior site model (having a no-flow boundary condition at the bottom). The groundwater table was used as the hydraulic head boundary condition at the surface of each model. Both the conductivity of the bedrock (modeled with three-dimensional elements) and the transmissivities of the fracture zones (described with two-dimensional elements in the three-dimensional mesh) decreased as a function of the depth. All the results were derived from the site model. With the exception of the western part of Repository A the outlined repositories are located underneath Kumpuvuori, where the flow has a significant subvertical component. The horizontal component of the deep

Radionuclide and metal contaminants such as strontium-90 are present beneath U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) lands in both the groundwater (e.g., 100-N area at Hanford, WA) and vadose zone (e.g., Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory). In situ containment and stabilization of these contaminants is a cost-effective treatment strategy. However, implementing in situ containment and stabilization approaches requires definition of the mechanisms that control contaminant sequestration. We are investigating the in situ immobilization of radionuclides or contaminant metals (e.g., strontium-90) by their facilitated co-precipitation with calcium carbonate in groundwater and vadose zone systems. Our facilitated approach, shown schematically in Figure 1, relies upon the hydrolysis of introduced urea to cause the acceleration of calcium carbonate precipitation (and trace metal co-precipitation) by increasing pH and alkalinity. Subsurface urea hydrolysis is catalyzed by the urease enzyme, which may be either introduced with the urea or produced in situ by ubiquitous subsurface urea hydrolyzing microorganisms. Because the precipitation process tends to be irreversible and many western aquifers are saturated with respect to calcite, the co-precipitated metals and radionuclides will be effectively removed from the aqueous phase over the long-term. Another advantage of the ureolysis approach is that the ammonium ions produced by the reaction can exchange with radionuclides sorbed to subsurface minerals, thereby enhancing the availability of the radionuclides for recapture in a more stable solid phase (co-precipitation rather than adsorption). Our specific research objectives include: * Elucidation of the mechanisms and rates for the release of sorbed trace metals and their subsequent sequestration by co-precipitation in calcite induced by urea hydrolysis. * Evaluation at the field scale of the influence of

Baltic Artesian Basin (BAB) is a multi-layered complex hydrogeological system underlying about 480'000 km2 in the territory of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Russia, Belarus and the Baltic Sea. The model of the geological structure contains 42 layers including aquifers and aquitards from Cambrian up to the Quaternary deposits. The finite element method was employed for the calculation of the steady state three-dimensional groundwaterflow with free surface. The horizontal and vertical hydraulic conductivities of geological materials were assumed constant in each of the layers. The Precambrian basement forms the impermeable bottom of the model. The zero water exchange is assumed through the side boundaries of BAB. Simple hydrological model is applied on the surface. The level of the lakes, rivers and the sea is fixed as constant hydraulic head in corresponding mesh points. The infiltration is set as a flux boundary condition elsewhere. Instead of extensive coupling with hydrology model, a constant mean value of 70 mm/year was assumed as an infiltration flux for the whole BAB area and this value was adjusted during the automatic calibration process. Averaged long-term water extraction was applied at the water supply wells with large debits. In total 49 wells in Lithuania (total abstraction 45000 m3/day), 161 in Latvia (184000 m3/day) and 172 in Estonia (24000 m3/day) are considered. The model was calibrated on the statistically weighted (using both spatial and temporal weighting function) borehole water level measurements applying automatic parameter optimization method L-BFGS-B for hydraulic conductivities of each layer. The steady-stade calculations were performed for the situations corresponding to undisturbed situation (1950-ies), intensive groundwater use (1980-ies) and present state situation (after 2000). The distribution of piezometric heads and principal flows inside BAB was analyzed based on the model results. The results demonstrate that generally the

A radionuclide migration experiment program for fractured rocks was performed under the JAERI/AECL Phase-II Collaborative Program on research and development in radioactive waste management. The program started in the fiscal year 1993, as a five-year program consists of Quarried block radionuclide migration program, Speciation of long-lived radionuclides in groundwater, Isotopic hydrogeology and Groundwaterflow model development. During the first year of the program (Program Year 1: March 18, 1994 - September 30, 1994), a plan was developed to take out granite blocks containing part of natural water-bearing fracture from the wall of the experimental gallery at the depth of 240 m, and literature reviews were done in the area of the speciation of long-lived radionuclides in groundwater, isotopic hydrogeology and the groundwaterflow model development to proceed further work for the Program Year 2. (author)

The Phase II Frenchman Flat groundwaterflow model is a key element in the ''Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order'' (FFACO) (1996) corrective action strategy for the Underground Test Area (UGTA) Frenchman Flat corrective action unit (CAU). The objective of this integrated process is to provide an estimate of the vertical and horizontal extent of contaminant migration for each CAU to predict contaminant boundaries. A contaminant boundary is the model-predicted perimeter that defines the extent of radionuclide-contaminated groundwater from underground testing above background conditions exceeding the ''Safe Drinking Water Act'' (SDWA) standards. The contaminant boundary will be composed of both a perimeter boundary and a lower hydrostratigraphic unit (HSU) boundary. The computer model will predict the location of this boundary within 1,000 years and must do so at a 95 percent level of confidence. Additional results showing contaminant concentrations and the location of the contaminant boundary at selected times will also be presented. These times may include the verification period, the end of the five-year proof-of-concept period, as well as other times that are of specific interest. This report documents the development and implementation of the groundwaterflow model for the Frenchman Flat CAU. Specific objectives of the Phase II Frenchman Flat flow model are to: (1) Incorporate pertinent information and lessons learned from the Phase I Frenchman Flat CAU models. (2) Develop a three-dimensional (3-D), mathematical flow model that incorporates the important physical features of the flow system and honors CAU-specific data and information. (3) Simulate the steady-state groundwaterflow system to determine the direction and magnitude of groundwater fluxes based on calibration to Frenchman Flat hydrogeologic data. (4) Quantify the uncertainty in the direction and magnitude of groundwaterflow due to uncertainty in

The Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and Indian Health Service are interested in improving the understanding of groundwaterflow and groundwater/surface-water interaction on the Lac du Flambeau Reservation (Reservation) in southwest Vilas County and southeast Iron County, Wisconsin, with particular interest in an understanding of the potential for contamination of groundwater supply wells and the fate of wastewater that is infiltrated from treatment lagoons on the Reservation. This report describes the construction, calibration, and application of a regional groundwaterflow model used to simulate the shallow groundwaterflow system of the Reservation and water-quality results for groundwater and surface-water samples collected near a system of waste-water-treatment lagoons. Groundwaterflows through a permeable glacial aquifer that ranges in thickness from 60 to more than 200 feet (ft). Seepage and drainage lakes are common in the area and influence groundwaterflow patterns on the Reservation. A two-dimensional, steady-state analytic element groundwaterflow model was constructed using the program GFLOW. The model was calibrated by matching target water levels and stream base flows through the use of the parameter-estimation program, PEST. Simulated results illustrate that groundwaterflow within most of the Reservation is toward the Bear River and the chain of lakes that feed the Bear River. Results of analyses of groundwater and surface-water samples collected downgradient from the wastewater infiltration lagoons show elevated levels of ammonia and dissolved phosphorus. In addition, wastewater indicator chemicals detected in three downgradient wells and a small downgradient stream indicate that infiltrated wastewater is moving southwest of the lagoons toward Moss Lake. Potential effects of extended wet and dry periods (within historical ranges) were evaluated by adjusting precipitation and groundwater recharge in the model and comparing the

The use of ion chromatography (IC) for radiochemical separations is a well established technique. IC is commonly used in routine environmental monitoring applications as well as in specialized research applications. Typical usage involves the separation of a single radionuclide from the non-radioactive constituents. During the past decade, a limited amount of research has been conducted using automated IC systems in actinide separation applications (e.g.). More recently, separation procedures for common non-gamma emitting activation and fission products were developed utilizing a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system. In addition, a separation procedure for six common actinides has been developed using a HPLC system. These latter systems used on-line flow-cell detectors for quantification of the radioactive constituents of the effluent stream.

New hydrological insights: δ2H and δ18O analysis indicates uniform recharge elevations for groundwaters on Montserrat. CFC-11 and CFC-12 analysis reveals age differences between isotopically similar, high elevation springs and low elevation aquifer waters. Low CFC concentrations within a confined low elevation aquifer suggest water ages of ∼45 years. High CFC concentrations in the northern and western springs are explained by rapid infiltration of cool (high CFC concentration rainfall into saturated compartments, with flow through the vadose zone to the phreatic zone dominated by compartment flow. Lower CFC concentrations in a number of aligned warmer springs suggest a contribution from older, warmer waters from depth. Temperatures and CFC concentrations indicate older component supply rates of up to 8 L/s to the highest yielding spring on Centre Hills, with contributions of up to 75% in the warmest spring waters.

As a part of the license application for a final repository for spent nuclear fuel at Forsmark, the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) has undertaken a series of groundwaterflow modelling studies. These represent time periods with different climate conditions and the simulations carried out contribute to the overall evaluation of the repository design and long-term radiological safety. This report concerns the modelling of a repository at the Forsmark site during temperate conditions; i.e. from post-closure and throughout the temperate period up until the receding shoreline leaves the modelling domain at around 12,000 AD. The collation and implementation of onsite hydrogeological and hydrogeochemical data from previous reports are used in the construction of a hydrogeological base case (reference case conceptualisation) and then in an examination of various areas of uncertainty within the current understanding by a series of model variants. The hydrogeological base case models at three different scales, 'repository', 'site' and 'regional', make use of continuous porous medium (CPM), equivalent continuous porous medium (ECPM) and discrete fracture network (DFN) models. The use of hydrogeological models allow for the investigation of the groundwaterflow from a deep disposal facility to the biosphere and for the calculation of performance measures that will provide an input to the site performance assessment. The focus of the study described in this report has been to perform numerical simulations of the hydrogeological system from post-closure and throughout the temperate period. Besides providing quantitative results for the immediate temperate period following post-closure, these results are also intended to give a qualitative indication of the evolution of the groundwater system during future temperate periods within an ongoing cycle of glacial/inter-glacial events

As a part of the license application for a final repository for spent nuclear fuel at Forsmark, the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) has undertaken a series of groundwaterflow modelling studies. These represent time periods with different hydraulic conditions and the simulations carried out contribute to the overall evaluation of the repository design and long-term radiological safety. This report concerns the modelling of a repository at the Laxemar-Simpevarp site during temperate climate conditions as a comparison to corresponding modelling carried out for Forsmark /Joyce et al. 2010/. The collation and implementation of onsite hydrogeological and hydrogeochemical data from previous reports are used in the construction of a Hydrogeological base case (reference case conceptualisation) and then an examination of various areas of uncertainty within the current understanding by a series of model variants. The Hydrogeological base case models at three different scales, 'repository', 'site' and 'regional' make use of a discrete fracture network (DFN) and equivalent continuous porous medium (ECPM) models. The use of hydrogeological models allow for the investigation of the groundwaterflow from a deep disposal facility to the biosphere and for the calculation of performance measures that will provide an input to the site performance assessment. The focus of the study described in this report has been to perform numerical simulations of the hydrogeological system from post-closure and throughout the temperate period up until the receding shoreline leaves the modelling domain at around 15,000 AD. Besides providing quantitative results for the immediate temperate period following post-closure, these results are also intended to give a qualitative indication of the evolution of the groundwater system during future temperate periods within an ongoing cycle of glacial/inter-glacial events

Both anthropogenic water regulation and groundwater lateral flow essentially affect groundwater table patterns. Their relationship is close because lateral flow recharges the groundwater depletion cone, which is induced by over-exploitation. In this study, schemes describing groundwater lateral flow and human water regulation were developed and incorporated into the Community Land Model 4.5. To investigate the effects of human water regulation and groundwater lateral flow on land processes as well as the relationship between the two processes, three simulations using the model were conducted for the years 2003-2013 over the Heihe River Basin in northwestern China. Simulations showed that groundwater lateral flow driven by changes in water heads can essentially change the groundwater table pattern with the deeper water table appearing in the hillslope regions and shallower water table appearing in valley bottom regions and plains. Over the last decade, anthropogenic groundwater exploitation deepened the water table by approximately 2 m in the middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin and rapidly reduced the terrestrial water storage, while irrigation increased soil moisture by approximately 0.1 m3 m-3. The water stored in the mainstream of the Heihe River was also reduced by human surface water withdrawal. The latent heat flux was increased by 30 W m-2 over the irrigated region, with an identical decrease in sensible heat flux. The simulated groundwater lateral flow was shown to effectively recharge the groundwater depletion cone caused by over-exploitation. The offset rate is higher in plains than mountainous regions.

As a part of the license application for a final repository for spent nuclear fuel at Forsmark, the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) has undertaken three groundwaterflow modelling studies. These are performed within the SR-Site project and represent time periods with different climate conditions. The simulations carried out contribute to the overall evaluation of the repository design and long-term radiological safety. Three time periods are addressed; the Excavation and operational phases, the Initial period of temperate climate after closure, and the Remaining part of the reference glacial cycle. The present report is a synthesis of the background reports describing the modelling methodology, setup, and results. It is the primary reference for the conclusions drawn in a SR-Site specific context concerning groundwaterflow during the three climate periods. These conclusions are not necessarily provided explicitly in the background reports, but are based on the results provided in these reports. The main results and comparisons presented in the present report are summarised in the SR-Site Main report.

Pumped groundwater sampling evaluations often assume that horizontal head gradients predominate and the sample comprises an average of water quality variation over the well screen interval weighted towards contributing zones of higher hydraulic conductivity (a permeability-weighted sample). However, the pumping rate used during sampling may not always be sufficient to overcome vertical flows in wells driven by ambient vertical head gradients. Such flows are reported in wells with screens between 3 and 10m in length where lower pumping rates are more likely to be used during sampling. Here, numerical flow and particle transport modeling is used to provide insight into the origin of samples under ambient vertical head gradients and under a range of pumping rates. When vertical gradients are present, sample provenance is sensitive to pump intake position, pumping rate and pumping duration. The sample may not be drawn from the whole screen interval even with extended pumping times. Sample bias is present even when the ambient vertical flow in the wellbore is less than the pumping rate. Knowledge of the maximum ambient vertical flow in the well does, however, allow estimation of the pumping rate that will yield a permeability-weighted sample. This rate may be much greater than that recommended for low-flow sampling. In practice at monitored sites, the sampling bias introduced by ambient vertical flows in wells may often be unrecognized or underestimated when drawing conclusions from sampling results. It follows that care should be taken in the interpretation of sampling data if supporting flow investigations have not been undertaken.

Groundwaterflow, driven, controlled and determined by topography, geology and climate, is responsible for several natural surface manifestations and affected by anthropogenic processes. Therefore, flowinggroundwater can be regarded as an environmental agent. Numerical simulation of groundwaterflow could reveal the flow pattern and explain the observed features. In complex geologic framework, where the geologic-hydrogeologic knowledge is limited, the groundwaterflow model could not be constructed based solely on borehole data, but geophysical information could aid the model building. The integrated model construction was presented via the case study of the Tihany Peninsula, Hungary, with the aims of understanding the background and occurrence of groundwater-related environmental phenomena, such as wetlands, surface water-groundwater interaction, slope instability, and revealing the potential effect of anthropogenic activity and climate change. The hydrogeologic model was prepared on the basis of the compiled archive geophysical database and the results of recently performed geophysical measurements complemented with geologic-hydrogeologic data. Derivation of different electrostratigraphic units, revealing fracturing and detecting tectonic elements was achieved by systematically combined electromagnetic geophysical methods. The deduced information can be used as model input for groundwaterflow simulation concerning hydrostratigraphy, geometry and boundary conditions. The results of numerical modelling were interpreted on the basis of gravity-driven regional groundwaterflow concept and validated by field mapping of groundwater-related phenomena. The 3D model clarified the hydraulic behaviour of the formations, revealed the subsurface hydraulic connection between groundwater and wetlands and displayed the groundwater discharge pattern, as well. The position of wetlands, their vegetation type, discharge features and induced landslides were explained as

The computer program PHAST simulates multi-component, reactive solute transport in three-dimensional saturated ground-waterflow systems. PHAST is a versatile ground-waterflow and solute-transport simulator with capabilities to model a wide range of equilibrium and kinetic geochemical reactions. The flow and transport calculations are based on a modified version of HST3D that is restricted to constant fluid density and constant temperature. The geochemical reactions are simulated with the geochemical model PHREEQC, which is embedded in PHAST. PHAST is applicable to the study of natural and contaminated ground-water systems at a variety of scales ranging from laboratory experiments to local and regional field scales. PHAST can be used in studies of migration of nutrients, inorganic and organic contaminants, and radionuclides; in projects such as aquifer storage and recovery or engineered remediation; and in investigations of the natural rock-water interactions in aquifers. PHAST is not appropriate for unsaturated-zone flow, multiphase flow, density-dependent flow, or waters with high ionic strengths. A variety of boundary conditions are available in PHAST to simulate flow and transport, including specified-head, flux, and leaky conditions, as well as the special cases of rivers and wells. Chemical reactions in PHAST include (1) homogeneous equilibria using an ion-association thermodynamic model; (2) heterogeneous equilibria between the aqueous solution and minerals, gases, surface complexation sites, ion exchange sites, and solid solutions; and (3) kinetic reactions with rates that are a function of solution composition. The aqueous model (elements, chemical reactions, and equilibrium constants), minerals, gases, exchangers, surfaces, and rate expressions may be defined or modified by the user. A number of options are available to save results of simulations to output files. The data may be saved in three formats: a format suitable for viewing with a text editor; a

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — This digital data set defines the hydraulic-head values in 16 model layers used to initiate the transient simulation of the Death Valley regional ground-waterflow...

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — This digital data set defines the lateral boundary and model domain of the area simulated by the transient ground-waterflow model of the Death Valley regional...

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — This digital data set defines the lateral boundary and model domain of the area simulated by the transient ground-waterflow model of the Death Valley regional...

Presents a literature review of groundwater quality covering publications of 1977. This review includes: (1) sources of groundwater contamination; and (2) management of groundwater. A list of 59 references is also presented. (HM)

A regional, three-dimensional, transient numerical model of groundwaterflow was constructed for the Yakima River basin aquifer system to better understand the groundwater-flow system and its relation to surface-water resources. The model described in this report can be used as a tool by water-management agencies and other stakeholders to quantitatively evaluate proposed alternative management strategies that consider the interrelation between groundwater availability and surface-water resources.

The effect of repository tunnels on groundwaterflow has been identified as a potential issue for the nuclear waste repository being considered by SKB for a fractured granite formation in Sweden. In particular, the following pre-closure and post-closure processes have been identified as being important: inflows into open tunnels as functions of estimated grouting efficiencies, drawdown of the water table in the vicinity of the repository, upcoming of saline water, 'turnover' of surface water in the upper bedrock, and resaturation of backfilled tunnels following repository closure. The representation of repository tunnels within groundwater models is addressed in this report. The primary focus is on far-field flow that is modeled with a continuum porous medium approximation. Of particular interest are the consequences of the tunnel representation on the transient response of the groundwater system to repository operations and repository closure, as well as modeling issues such as how the water-table free surface and the coupling to near-surface hydrogeology should be handled. The overall objectives are to understand the consequences of current representations and to identify appropriate approximations for representing open tunnels in future groundwater modeling studies. The following conclusions can be drawn from the results of the simulations: 1. Two-phase flow may be induced in the vicinity of repository tunnels during repository pre-closure operations, but the formation of a two-phase flow region will not significantly affect far-field flow or inflows into tunnels. 2. The water table will be drawn down to the repository horizon and tunnel inflows will reach a steady-state value within about 5 years. 3. Steady-state inflows at the repository edge are estimated to be about 250 m{sup 3}/year per meter of tunnel. Inflows will be greater during the transient de-watering period and less for tunnel locations closer to the repository center. 4. Significant

The visualization of 3D groundwaterflow is a challenging task. Previous versions of our software STRING [1] solely focused on intuitive visualization of complex flow scenarios for non-professional audiences. STRING, developed by Fraunhofer ITWM (Kaiserslautern, Germany) and delta h Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH (Witten, Germany), provides the necessary means for visualization of both 2D and 3D data on planar and curved surfaces. In this contribution we discuss how to extend this approach to a full 3D tool and its challenges in continuation of Michel et al. [2]. This elevates STRING from a post-production to an exploration tool for experts. In STRING moving pathlets provide an intuition of velocity and direction of both steady-state and transient flows. The visualization concept is based on the Lagrangian view of the flow. To capture every detail of the flow an advanced method for intelligent, time-dependent seeding is used building on the Finite Pointset Method (FPM) developed by Fraunhofer ITWM. Lifting our visualization approach from 2D into 3D provides many new challenges. With the implementation of a seeding strategy for 3D one of the major problems has already been solved (see Schröder et al. [3]). As pathlets only provide an overview of the velocity field other means are required for the visualization of additional flow properties. We suggest the use of Direct Volume Rendering and isosurfaces for scalar features. In this regard we were able to develop an efficient approach for combining the rendering through raytracing of the volume and regular OpenGL geometries. This is achieved through the use of Depth Peeling or A-Buffers for the rendering of transparent geometries. Animation of pathlets requires a strict boundary of the simulation domain. Hence, STRING needs to extract the boundary, even from unstructured data, if it is not provided. In 3D we additionally need a good visualization of the boundary itself. For this the silhouette based on the angle of

Tritium–helium-3 groundwater ages of the Edwards aquifer in south-central Texas were determined as part of a long-term study of groundwaterflow and recharge in the Edwards and Trinity aquifers. These ages help to define groundwater residence times and to provide constraints for calibration of groundwaterflow models. A suite of 17 samples from public and private supply wells within Uvalde County were collected for active and noble gases, and for tritium–helium-3 analyses from the confined and unconfined parts of the Edwards aquifer. Samples were collected from monitoring wells at discrete depths in open boreholes as well as from integrated pumped well-head samples. The data indicate a fairly uniform groundwaterflow system within an otherwise structurally complex geologic environment comprised of regionally and locally faulted rock units, igneous intrusions, and karst features within carbonate rocks. Apparent ages show moderate, downward average, linear velocities in the Uvalde area with increasing age to the east along a regional groundwaterflow path. Though the apparent age data show a fairly consistent distribution across the study area, many apparent ages indicate mixing of both modern (less than 60 years) and premodern (greater than 60 years) waters. This mixing is most evident along the “bad water” line, an arbitrary delineation of 1,000 milligrams per liter dissolved solids that separates the freshwater zone of the Edwards aquifer from the downdip saline water zone. Mixing of modern and premodern waters also is indicated within the unconfined zone of the aquifer by high excess helium concentrations in young waters. Excess helium anomalies in the unconfined aquifer are consistent with possible subsurface discharge of premodern groundwater from the underlying Trinity aquifer into the younger groundwater of the Edwards aquifer.

As a part of the license application, according to the nuclear activities act, for a final repository for spent nuclear fuel at Forsmark, the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) has undertaken a series of groundwaterflow modelling studies. These represent time periods with different hydraulic conditions and the simulations carried out contribute to the overall evaluation of the repository design and long-term radiological safety. The modelling study presented here serves as an input for analyses of so-called future human actions that may affect the repository. The objective of the work was to investigate the hydraulic influence of an abandoned partially open repository. The intention was to illustrate a pessimistic scenario of the effect of open tunnels in comparison to the reference closure of the repository. The effects of open tunnels were studied for two situations with different boundary conditions: A 'temperate' case with present-day boundary conditions and a generic future 'glacial' case with an ice sheet covering the repository. The results were summarized in the form of analyses of flow in and out from open tunnels, the effect on hydraulic head and flow in the surrounding rock volume, and transport performance measures of flow paths from the repository to surface

different temporal lines and local time stepping control. Critical aspect of time integration accuracy is construction of spatial stencil due to accurate calculation of spatial derivatives. Since common approach applied for wavelets and splines uses a finite difference operator, we developed here collocation one including solution values and differential operator. In this way, new improved algorithm is adaptive in space and time enabling accurate solution for groundwaterflow problems, especially in highly heterogeneous porous media with large lnK variances and different correlation length scales. In addition, differences between collocation and finite volume approaches are discussed. Finally, results show application of methodology to the groundwaterflow problems in highly heterogeneous confined and unconfined aquifers.

Three-dimensional numerical simulations using a detailed synthetic hydraulic conductivity field developed from geological considerations provide insight into the scaling of subsurface flow and transport processes. Flow and advective transport in the highly resolved heterogeneous field were modeled using massively parallel computers, providing a realistic baseline for evaluation of the impacts of parameter scaling. Upscaling of hydraulic conductivity was performed at a variety of scales using a flexible power law averaging technique. A series of tests were performed to determine the effects of varying the scaling exponent on a number of metrics of flow and transport behavior. Flow and transport simulation on high-performance computers and three-dimensional scientific visualization combine to form a powerful tool for gaining insight into the behavior of complex heterogeneous systems. Many quantitative groundwater models utilize upscaled hydraulic conductivity parameters, either implicitly or explicitly. These parameters are designed to reproduce the bulk flow characteristics at the grid or field scale while not requiring detailed quantification of local-scale conductivity variations. An example from applied groundwater modeling is the common practice of calibrating grid-scale model hydraulic conductivity or transmissivity parameters so as to approximate observed hydraulic head and boundary flux values. Such parameterizations, perhaps with a bulk dispersivity imposed, are then sometimes used to predict transport of reactive or non-reactive solutes. However, this work demonstrates that those parameters that lead to the best upscaling for hydraulic conductivity and head do not necessarily correspond to the best upscaling for prediction of a variety of transport behaviors. This result reflects the fact that transport is strongly impacted by the existence and connectedness of extreme-valued hydraulic conductivities, in contrast to bulk flow which depends more strongly on

Radionuclide and metal contaminants such as strontium-90 are present beneath U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) lands in both the groundwater (e.g., 100-N area at Hanford, WA) and vadose zone (e.g., Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center [INTEC] at the Idaho National Laboratory [INL]). In situ containment and stabilization of these contaminants is a cost-effective treatment strategy. However, implementing in situ containment and stabilization approaches requires definition of the mechanisms that control contaminant sequestration. We are investigating the in situ immobilization of radionuclides or contaminant metals (e.g., strontium-90) by their facilitated co-precipitation with calcium carbonate (primarily calcite) in groundwater and vadose zone systems. Our facilitated approach relies upon the hydrolysis of introduced urea to cause the acceleration of calcium carbonate precipitation (and trace metal co-precipitation) by (a) increasing pH and alkalinity and (b) liberating cations from the aquifer matrix by cation exchange reactions. Subsurface urea hydrolysis is catalyzed by the urease enzyme, which is produced in situ by native urea hydrolyzing microorganisms. Because the precipitation process tends to be irreversible and many western aquifers are saturated with respect to calcite, the co-precipitated metals and radionuclides will be effectively removed from the aqueous phase over the long term. We are currently conducting field based activities at both the INL Vadose Zone Research Park (VZRP), an uncontaminated surrogate site for the strontium-90 contaminated vadose zone at INTEC and at the strontium-90 contaminated aquifer of 100-N area of the Hanford site.

The groundwaterflow and radionuclide transport model characterizing the Shoal underground nuclear test has been accepted by the State of Nevada Division of Environmental Protection. According to the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO) between DOE and the State of Nevada, the next steps in the closure process for the site are then model validation (or postaudit), the proof-of-concept, and the long-term monitoring stage. This report addresses the development of the validation strategy for the Shoal model, needed for preparing the subsurface Corrective Action Decision Document-Corrective Action Plan and the development of the proof-of-concept tools needed during the five-year monitoring/validation period. The approach builds on a previous model, but is adapted and modified to the site-specific conditions and challenges of the Shoal site.

As a part of the license application for a final repository for spent nuclear fuel at Forsmark, the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) has undertaken a series of groundwaterflow modelling studies. These represent time periods with different climate conditions and the simulations carried out contribute to the overall evaluation of the repository design and long-term radiological safety. The modelling study reported here presents calculated inflow rates, drawdown of the groundwater table and upconing of deep saline water for different levels of grouting efficiency during the excavation and operational phases of a final repository at Forsmark. The inflow calculations are accompanied by a sensitivity study, which among other matters handles the impact of parameter heterogeneity, different deposition hole rejection criteria, and the SFR facility (the repository for short-lived radioactive waste located approximately 1 km to the north of the investigated candidate area for a final repository at Forsmark). The report also presents tentative modelling results for the duration of the saturation phase, which starts once the used parts of the repository are being backfilled.

Groundwater chemistry and isotopic data from 40 production wells in the Atemajac and Toluquilla valleys, located in and around the Guadalajara metropolitan area, were determined to develop a conceptual model of groundwaterflow processes and mixing. Stable water isotopes (δ2H, δ18O) were used to trace hydrological processes and tritium (3H) to evaluate the relative contribution of modern water in samples. Multivariate analysis including cluster analysis and principal component analysis were used to elucidate distribution patterns of constituents and factors controlling groundwater chemistry. Based on this analysis, groundwater was classified into four groups: cold groundwater, hydrothermal groundwater, polluted groundwater and mixed groundwater. Cold groundwater is characterized by low temperature, salinity, and Cl and Na concentrations and is predominantly of Na-HCO3-type. It originates as recharge at "La Primavera" caldera and is found predominantly in wells in the upper Atemajac Valley. Hydrothermal groundwater is characterized by high salinity, temperature, Cl, Na and HCO3, and the presence of minor elements such as Li, Mn and F. It is a mixed-HCO3 type found in wells from Toluquilla Valley and represents regional flow circulation through basaltic and andesitic rocks. Polluted groundwater is characterized by elevated nitrate and sulfate concentrations and is usually derived from urban water cycling and subordinately from agricultural return flow. Mixed groundwaters between cold and hydrothermal components are predominantly found in the lower Atemajac Valley. Twenty-seven groundwater samples contain at least a small fraction of modern water. The application of a multivariate mixing model allowed the mixing proportions of hydrothermal fluids, polluted waters and cold groundwater in sampled water to be evaluated. This study will help local water authorities to identify and dimension groundwater contamination, and act accordingly. It may be broadly applicable to

Water in aquifers that underlie the Lincoln Park area near Canon City, Colorado, contains measurable concentrations of chemical constituents that are similar to those in raffinate (liquid waste) produced by a nearby uranium ore processing mill. The objective of this study was to expand the existing geohydrologic data base by collecting additional geohydrologic and water quality, in order to refine the description of the geohydrologic and geochemical systems in the study area. Geohydrologic data were collected from nine tests wells drilled in the area between the U.S. Soil Conservation Service dam and Lincoln Park. Lithologic and geophysical logs of these wells indicated that the section of Vermejo Formation penetrated consisted of interbedded sandstone and shale. The sandstone beds had a small porosity and small hydraulic conductivity. Groundwaterflow from the U.S. Soil Conservation Service dam to Lincoln Park seemed to be along an alluvium-filled channel in the irregular and relatively undescribed topography of the Vermejo Formation subcrop. North of the De Weese Dye Ditch, the alluvium becomes saturated and groundwater generally flows to the northeast. Water samples from 28 sites were collected and analyzed for major ions and trace elements; selected water samples also were analyzed for stable isotopes; samples were collected from wells near the uranium ore processing mill, from privately owned wells in Lincoln Park, and from the test wells drilled in the intervening area. Results from the quality assurance samples indicate that cross-contamination between samples from different wells was avoided and that the data are reliable. Water in the alluvial aquifer underlying Lincoln Park is mainly a calcium bicarbonate type. Small variations in the composition of water in the alluvial aquifer appears to result from a reaction of water leaking from the De Weese Dye Ditch with alluvial material. Upward leakage from underlying aquifers does not seem to be significant in

The GWHP system uses a stable temperature of groundwater for cooling and heating in buildings and thus has been known as one of the most energy-saving and cost-efficient renewable energy techniques. A GWHP facility was installed at an island located at the confluence of North Han and South Han rivers, Korea. Because of well-developed alluvium, the aquifer is suitable for application of this system, extracting and injecting a large amount of groundwater. However, the numerical experiments under various operational conditions showed that it could be vulnerable to thermal interference due to the highly permeable gravel layer, as a preferential path of thermal plume migration, and limited space for well installation. Thus, regional groundwaterflow must be an important factor of consideration for the efficient operation under these conditions but was found to be not simple in this site. While the groundwater level in this site totally depends on the river stage control of Paldang dam, the direction and velocity of the regional groundwaterflow, observed using the colloidal borescope, have been changed hour by hour with the combined flows of both the rivers. During the pumping and injection tests, the water discharges in Cheongpyeong dam affected their respective results. Moreover, the measured NO3-N concentrations might imply the effect of agricultural activities around the facility on the groundwater quality along the regional flow. It is obvious that the extraction and injection of groundwater during the facility operation will affect the fate of the agricultural contaminants. Particularly, the gravel layer must also be a main path for contaminant migration. The simulations for contaminant transport during the facility operation showed that the operation strategy for only thermal efficiency could be unsafe and unstable in respect of groundwater quality. All these results concluded that the integrated approach on groundwaterflow and heat/solute transport is necessary

New hydrological insights for the region: The construction of a beaver dam resulted in minimal changes to regional groundwaterflow paths at this site, which is attributed to a clay unit underlying the peat, disconnecting this wetland from regional groundwaterflow. However, groundwater discharge from the wetland pond increased by 90%. Simulating a scenario with the numerical model in which the wetland is connected to regional groundwaterflow results in a much larger impact on flow paths. In the absence of the clay layer, the simulated construction of a beaver dam causes a 70% increase in groundwater discharge from the wetland pond and increases the surface area of both the capture zone and the discharge zone by 30% and 80%, respectively.

The quantitative assessment of geothermal water resources is important to the exploitation and utilization of geothermal resources. In the geothermal water systems the density of groundwater changes with the temperature, therefore the variations in hydraulic heads and temperatures are very complicated. A three-dimensional density-dependent model coupling the groundwaterflow and heat transport is established and used to simulate the geothermal water flow in the karst aquifers in eastern Weibei,Shaanxi Province, China. The multilayered karst aquifer system in the study area is cut by some major faults which control the regional groundwaterflow. In order to calibrate and simulate the effect of the major faults, each fault is discretized as a belt of elements with special hydrological parameters in the numerical model. The groundwater dating data are used to be integrated with the groundwaterflow pattern and calibrate the model. Simulation results show that the calculated hydraulic heads and temperature fit with the observed data well.

A map of groundwater temperatures from the Eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP) regional aquifer can be used to identify and interpret important features of the aquifer, including aquifer flow direction, aquifer thickness, and potential geothermal anomalies. The ESRP is an area of high heat flow, yet most of this thermal energy fails to reach the surface, due to the heat being swept downgradient by the aquifer to the major spring complexes near Thousand Springs, ID, a distance of 300 km. Nine deep boreholes that fully penetrate the regional aquifer display three common features: (1) high thermal gradients beneath the aquifer, corresponding to high conductive heat flow in low-permeability hydrothermally-altered rocks; (2) isothermal temperature profiles within the aquifer, characteristic of an actively flowinggroundwater; and (3) moderate thermal gradients in the vadose zone with values that indicate that over half of the geothermal heat flow is removed by advective transport in the regional aquifer system. This study utilized temperature data from 250 ESRP aquifer wells to evaluate regional aquifer flow direction, aquifer thickness, and potential geothermal anomalies. Because the thermal gradients are typically low in the aquifer, any measurement of groundwater temperature is a reasonable estimate of temperature throughout the aquifer thickness, allowing the construction of a regional aquifer temperature map for the ESRP. Mapped temperatures are used to identify cold thermal plumes associated with recharge from tributary valleys and adjacent uplands, and warm zones associated with geothermal input to the aquifer. Warm zones in the aquifer can have various causes, including local circulation of groundwater through the deep conductively dominated region, slow groundwater movement in low-permeability regions, or localized heat flow from deeper thermal features.

Irrigated agriculture has an important role in the food production to ensure food security of Bangladesh that is home to over 150 million people. However, overexploitation of groundwater for irrigation, particularly during the dry season, causes groundwater-level decline in areas where abstraction is high and surface geology inhibits direct recharge to underlying shallow aquifer. This is causing a number of potential adverse socio-economic, hydrogeological, and environmental problems in Bangladesh. Alluvial aquifers are primarily recharged during monsoon season from rainfall and surface sources. However, return flow from groundwater-fed irrigation can recharge during the dry months. Quantification of the effect of return flow from irrigation in the groundwater system is currently unclear but thought to be important to ensure sustainable management of the overexploited aquifer. The objective of the study is to investigate the effect of irrigation return flow on groundwater recharge in the north-western part of Bangladesh, also known as Barind Tract. A semi-physically based distributed water balance model (WetSpass-M) is used to simulate spatially distributed monthly groundwater recharge. Results show that, groundwater abstraction for irrigation in the study area has increased steadily over the last 29 years. During the monsoon season, local precipitation is the controlling factor of groundwater recharge; however, there is no trend in groundwater recharge during that period. During the dry season, however, irrigation return-flow plays a major role in recharging the aquifer in the irrigated area compared to local precipitation. Therefore, during the dry season, mean seasonal groundwater recharge has increased and almost doubled over the last 29 years as a result of increased abstraction for irrigation. The increase in groundwater recharge during dry season has however no significant effect in the improvement of groundwater levels. The relation between groundwater

Full Text Available Laplace equation is the basic differential equation that governs the steady flow of a fluid through an isotropic and homogeneous porous medium and also the steady flow of current in a conducting medium. Therefore, a steady-state groundwaterflow problem can be formulated as an analogous electrical current flow problem. A flow net, set of grids formed by orthogonally intersecting equipotential lines and flow lines, is a graphical solution to the equations of steady groundwaterflow. By definition, flownet for the original groundwater problem and the corresponding analogous electrical problem should be similar. This feature allows the possibility of introducing the concepts of flownets to students using the easily demonstrable electrical counterpart of the problem in a laboratory setting. This paper discusses the efforts of the authors to widen the scope of an experiment already included in the Fluid Mechanics laboratory course of a Civil Engineering curriculum and to better teach flownet principles using the electrical analogy of groundwaterflow problems. Students used a simple experimental setup to obtain flownets for selected groundwaterflow situations with different boundary conditions using the electrical analogy concept. Students also used a groundwaterflow computer model to obtain flownets for the same flow situations and compared the results. The laboratory lesson plan consisted of five steps: (i study and understand the selected physical groundwater problems, (ii conceptualize the corresponding analogous electrical problems (iii use the electrical analogy experimental setup to obtain flownets, (iv study and understand the mathematical formulation of the problems, and (v compare the analogous results with those obtained from a groundwaterflow computer model. Sample results obtained by students are presented. The student feedback indicated that this approach resulted in an effective learning of the concepts involved.

The Matanuska-Susitna Valley is in the Upper Cook Inlet Basin and is currently undergoing rapid population growth outside of municipal water and sewer service areas. In response to concerns about the effects of increasing water use on future groundwater availability, a study was initiated between the Alaska Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Geological Survey. The goals of the study were (1) to compile existing data and collect new data to support hydrogeologic conceptualization of the study area, and (2) to develop a groundwaterflow model to simulate flow dynamics important at the regional scale. The purpose of the groundwaterflow model is to provide a scientific framework for analysis of regional-scale groundwater availability. To address the first study goal, subsurface lithologic data were compiled into a database and were used to construct a regional hydrogeologic framework model describing the extent and thickness of hydrogeologic units in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. The hydrogeologic framework model synthesizes existing maps of surficial geology and conceptual geochronologies developed in the study area with the distribution of lithologies encountered in hundreds of boreholes. The geologic modeling package Geological Surveying and Investigation in Three Dimensions (GSI3D) was used to construct the hydrogeologic framework model. In addition to characterizing the hydrogeologic framework, major groundwater-budget components were quantified using several different techniques. A land-surface model known as the Deep Percolation Model was used to estimate in-place groundwater recharge across the study area. This model incorporates data on topography, soils, vegetation, and climate. Model-simulated surface runoff was consistent with observed streamflow at U.S. Geological Survey streamgages. Groundwater withdrawals were estimated on the basis of records from major water suppliers during 2004-2010. Fluxes between groundwater and surface water were

The effect of array configuration, that is, number, layout, and spacing, on the performance of multiple borehole heat exchangers (BHEs) is generally known under the assumption of fully conductive transport. The effect of groundwaterflow on BHE performance is also well established, but most commonly for single BHEs. In multiple-BHE systems the effect of groundwater advection can be more complicated due to the induced thermal interference between the boreholes. To ascertain the influence of groundwaterflow and borehole arrangement, this study investigates single- and multi-BHE systems of various configurations. Moreover, the influence of energy load balance is also examined. The results from corresponding cases with and without groundwaterflow as well as balanced and unbalanced energy loads are cross-compared. The groundwater flux value, 10(-7) m/s, is chosen based on the findings of previous studies on groundwaterflow interaction with BHEs and thermal response tests. It is observed that multi-BHE systems with balanced loads are less sensitive to array configuration attributes and groundwaterflow, in the long-term. Conversely, multi-BHE systems with unbalanced loads are influenced by borehole array configuration as well as groundwaterflow; these effects become more pronounced with time, unlike when the load is balanced. Groundwaterflow has more influence on stabilizing loop temperatures, compared to array characteristics. Although borehole thermal energy storage (BTES) systems have a balanced energy load function, preliminary investigation on their efficiency shows a negative impact by groundwater which is due to their dependency on high temperature gradients between the boreholes and surroundings.

Full Text Available Abroad and in Russia there exist the practices of discharge of liquids, which maintain radionuclides in reservoirs. In order to ensure radiation protection of environment and population such discharge must be carried out under control. For carrying out of the control it is necessary to determine the value of acceptable discharge of radionuclides into reservoir with consideration of specific conditions and to supervise the actual value of discharge. The value of acceptable discharge of radionuclide into reservoir depends on such parameters as its volume and rate of the water pour off.

A conceptual groundwaterflow model was developed for the crystalline aquifers in southeastern part of the Eastern region, Ghana. The objective was to determine approximate levels of groundwater recharge, estimate aquifer hydraulic parameters, and then test various scenarios of groundwater extraction under the current conditions of recharge. A steady state groundwaterflow model has been calibrated against measured water levels of 19 wells in the area. The resulting recharge is estimated to range from 8.97 × 10 -5 m/d to 7.14 × 10 -4 m/d resulting in a basin wide average recharge of about 9.6% of total annual precipitation, which results in a basin wide quantitative recharge of about 2.4 million m 3/d in the area. This compares to recharge estimated from the chloride mass balance of 7.6% of precipitation determined in this study. The general groundwaterflow in the area has also been determined to conform to the general northeast-southwest structural grain of the country. The implication is that the general hydrogeology is controlled by post genetic structural entities imposed on the rocks to create ingresses for sufficient groundwater storage and transport. Calibrated aquifer hydraulic conductivities range between 0.99 m/d and over 19.4 m/d. There is a significant contribution of groundwater discharge to stream flow in the study area. Increasing groundwater extraction will have an effect on stream flow. This study finds that the current groundwater extraction levels represent only 0.17% of the annual recharge from precipitation, and that groundwater can sustain future increased groundwater demands from population growth and industrialization.

The validity of Local Cubic Law (LCL) is an important issue to study groundwaterflow and transport in fractured media. According to laboratory simulaion tests, the average velocity with a lower gradient in a single fracture is calculated by the LCL, which is compared with the measured average velocity. Then dye tracer test is designed and completed. The evidence for non-LCL is drawn from the results of the simulation tests and the dye tracer tests. Then the Reynolds number of groundwater is calculated, the critical value of Re for laminar flow is discussed in a single fracture under different conditions. The motion types for groundwaterflow have been discussed.

The flow of groundwater varies with time due to rainfall, atmospheric pressure change, tidal change, melting of snow during seasonal change, underground construction works etc. Therefore, to increase the precision of assessing in-situ groundwaterflow characteristics, it is important to measure continuously the direction and velocity of the flow, in addition to obtaining accurate data for the afore mentioned environmental changes. The first part of this paper describes the development of a new device for measuring the direction and velocity of groundwaterflow. The device was composed of a unique floating sensor with a hinge end at the bottom, which enabled continuous measurement of groundwaterflow based on image data processing technique. In the second part, discussion is focused on clarifying the optimum cross-section shape and the behavior of the float sensor in saltwater and freshwater using numerical analysis.

An approach is presented to investigate the regional evolution of groundwater in the basin of the Amacuzac River in Central Mexico. The approach is based on groundwaterflow cross-sectional modeling in combination with major ion chemistry and geochemical modeling, complemented with principal component and cluster analyses. The hydrogeologic units composing the basin, which combine aquifers and aquitards both in granular, fractured and karstic rocks, were represented in sections parallel to the regional groundwaterflow. Steady-state cross-section numerical simulations aided in the conceptualization of the groundwaterflow system through the basin and permitted estimation of bulk hydraulic conductivity values, recharge rates and residence times. Forty-five water locations (springs, groundwater wells and rivers) were sampled throughout the basin for chemical analysis of major ions. The modeled gravity-driven groundwaterflow system satisfactorily reproduced field observations, whereas the main geochemical processes of groundwater in the basin are associated to the order and reactions in which the igneous and sedimentary rocks are encountered along the groundwaterflow. Recharge water in the volcanic and volcano-sedimentary aquifers increases the concentration of HCO3 -, Mg2+ and Ca2+ from dissolution of plagioclase and olivine. Deeper groundwaterflow encounters carbonate rocks, under closed CO2 conditions, and dissolves calcite and dolomite. When groundwater encounters gypsum lenses in the shallow Balsas Group or the deeper Huitzuco anhydrite, gypsum dissolution produces proportional increased concentration of Ca2+ and SO4 2-; two samples reflected the influence of hydrothermal fluids and probably halite dissolution. These geochemical trends are consistent with the principal component and cluster analyses.

Coastal areas are the most densely-populated areas in the world. Consequently water demand is high, posing great pressure on fresh water resources. Climatic change and its direct impacts on meteorological variables (e.g. precipitation) and indirect impact on sea level rise, as well as anthropogenic pressures (e.g. groundwater abstraction), are strong drivers causing groundwater salinisation and subsequently affecting coastal wetlands salinity with adverse effects on the corresponding ecosystems. Coastal zones are a difficult hydrologic environment to represent with a mathematical model due to the large number of contributing hydrologic processes and variable-density flow conditions. Simulation of sea level rise and tidal effects on aquifer salinisation and accurate prediction of interactions between coastal waters, groundwater and neighbouring wetlands requires the use of integrated surface water-groundwater models. In the past few decades several computer codes have been developed to simulate coupled surface and groundwaterflow. In these numerical models surface water flow is usually described by the 1-D Saint Venant equations (e.g. Swain and Wexler, 1996) or the 2D shallow water equations (e.g. Liang et al., 2007). Further simplified equations, such as the diffusion and kinematic wave approximations to the Saint Venant equations, are also employed for the description of 2D overland flow and 1D stream flow (e.g. Gunduz and Aral, 2005). However, for coastal bays, estuaries and wetlands it is often desirable to solve the 3D shallow water equations to simulate surface water flow. This is the case e.g. for wind-driven flows or density-stratified flows. Furthermore, most integrated models are based on the assumption of constant fluid density and therefore their applicability to coastal regions is questionable. Thus, most of the existing codes are not well-suited to represent surface water-groundwater interactions in coastal areas. To this end, the 3D integrated

Full Text Available Groundwater chemistry and isotopic data from 40 production wells in the Atemajac and Toluquilla Valleys, located in and around the Guadalajara metropolitan area, were determined to develop a conceptual model of groundwaterflow processes and mixing. Multivariate analysis including cluster analysis and principal component analysis were used to elucidate distribution patterns of constituents and factors controlling groundwater chemistry. Based on this analysis, groundwater was classified into four groups: cold groundwater, hydrothermal water, polluted groundwater and mixed groundwater. Cold groundwater is characterized by low temperature, salinity, and Cl and Na concentrations and is predominantly of Na-HCO3 type. It originates as recharge at Primavera caldera and is found predominantly in wells in the upper Atemajac Valley. Hydrothermal water is characterized by high salinity, temperature, Cl, Na, HCO3, and the presence of minor elements such as Li, Mn and F. It is a mixed HCO3 type found in wells from Toluquilla Valley and represents regional flow circulation through basaltic and andesitic rocks. Polluted groundwater is characterized by elevated nitrate and sulfate concentrations and is usually derived from urban water cycling and subordinately from agricultural practices. Mixed groundwaters between cold and hydrothermal components are predominantly found in the lower Atemajac Valley. Tritium method elucidated that practically all of the sampled groundwater contains at least a small fraction of modern water. The multivariate mixing model M3 indicates that the proportion of hydrothermal fluids in sampled well water is between 13 (local groundwater and 87% (hydrothermal water, and the proportion of polluted water in wells ranges from 0 to 63%. This study may help local water authorities to identify and quantify groundwater contamination and act accordingly.

The Pahute Mesa groundwaterflow model supports the FFACO UGTA corrective action strategy objective of providing an estimate of the vertical and horizontal extent of contaminant migration for each CAU in order to predict contaminant boundaries. A contaminant boundary is the model-predicted perimeter that defines the extent of radionuclide-contaminated groundwater from underground nuclear testing above background conditions exceeding Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) standards. The contaminant boundary will be composed of both a perimeter boundary and a lower hydrostratigraphic unit (HSU) boundary. Additional results showing contaminant concentrations and the location of the contaminant boundary at selected times will also be presented. These times may include the verification period, the end of the five-year proof-of-concept period, as well as other times that are of specific interest. The FFACO (1996) requires that the contaminant transport model predict the contaminant boundary at 1,000 years and “at a 95% level of confidence.” The Pahute Mesa Phase I flow model described in this report provides, through the flow fields derived from alternative hydrostratigraphic framework models (HFMs) and recharge models, one part of the data required to compute the contaminant boundary. Other components include the simplified source term model, which incorporates uncertainty and variability in the factors that control radionuclide release from an underground nuclear test (SNJV, 2004a), and the transport model with the concomitant parameter uncertainty as described in Shaw (2003). The uncertainty in all the above model components will be evaluated to produce the final contaminant boundary. This report documents the development of the groundwaterflow model for the Central and Western Pahute Mesa CAUs.

During the March-May 2014 Colorado River Delta pulse flow, approximately 102 × 106 m3 (82,000 acre-feet) of water was released into the channel at Morelos Dam, with additional releases further downstream. The majority of pulse flow water infiltrated and recharged the regional aquifer. Using groundwater-level and microgravity data we mapped the spatial and temporal distribution of changes in aquifer storage associated with pulse flow. Surface-water losses to infiltration were greatest around the Southerly International Boundary, where a lowered groundwater level owing to nearby pumping created increased storage potential as compared to other areas with shallower groundwater. Groundwater levels were elevated for several months after the pulse flow but had largely returned to pre-pulse levels by fall 2014. Elevated groundwater levels in the limitrophe (border) reach extended about 2 km to the east around the midway point between the Northerly and Southerly International Boundaries, and about 4 km to the east at the southern end. In the southern part of the delta, although total streamflow in the channel was less due to upstream infiltration, augmented deliveries through irrigation canals and possible irrigation return flows created sustained increases in groundwater levels during summer 2014. Results show that elevated groundwater levels and increases in groundwater storage were relatively short lived (confined to calendar year 2014), and that depressed water levels associated with groundwater pumping around San Luis, Arizona and San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora cause large, unavoidable infiltration losses of in-channel water to groundwater in the vicinity.

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — Recharge in the Death Valley regional ground-waterflow system (DVRFS) was estimated from net infiltration simulated by Hevesi and others (2003) using a...

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — A new groundwaterflow model was created for Dane County, Wisconsin, to replace an earlier model developed in the 1990s by the Wisconsin Geological and Natural...

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — This digital dataset represents the surface hydrogeology of an approximately 45,000 square-kilometer area of the Death Valley regional ground-waterflow system...

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — This digital data set represents the Death Valley regional ground-waterflow system (DVRFS) study area which encompasses approximately 100,000-square kilometers in...

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — These data were created as part of a hydrologic study to characterize groundwater budgets and water quality in the Diamond Valley Flow System (DVFS), central Nevada....

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — This digital data set represents the Death Valley regional ground-waterflow system (DVRFS) study area which encompasses approximately 100,000-square kilometers in...

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — These data were created as part of a hydrologic study to characterize groundwater budgets and water quality in the Diamond Valley Flow System (DVFS), central Nevada....

Groundwaterflow and transport play an important role not only for groundwater exploration but also in environmental engineering problems. This report considers how the hydraulic properties of fractures in crystalline rock depend on the fracture aperture geometry. Different numerical models are discussed and a FDM computer code for two- and three- dimensional flow-modelling has been developed. Different relations between the cells in the model are tested and compared with results in the literature. A laboratory experimental work has been done to carry out flow experiments and aperture measurements on the same specimen of a natural fracture. The drilled core sample had fractures parallel to the core axis and was placed inside a biaxial cell during the experiments. The water pressure gradient and the compression stress were varied during the experiments and also a tracer test was done. After the flow experiments, the aperture distribution for a certain compression was measured by injecting an epoxy resin into the fracture. The thickness of the resin layer was then studied in saw cut sections of the sample. The results from the experiments were used to validate numerical and analytical models, based on aperture distribution, for flow and transport simulations. In the disturbed zone around a drift both water and air are present in the fractures. The gas will go to the most wide part of the fracture because the capillarity and the conductivity decrease. The dependence of the effective conductivity on the variance of the conductivity and the effect of extinction of highly conductive cells has also been studied. A discussion of how gas in fractures around a drift can cause a skin effect is modelled and an example is given of what a saturation depending on the magnitude of the flow causes. 25 refs, 17 tabs, 43 figs.

Information about groundwater-flow paths and locations where groundwater discharges at and near Puget Sound Naval Shipyard is necessary for understanding the potential migration of subsurface contaminants by groundwater at the shipyard. The design of some remediation alternatives would be aided by knowledge of whether groundwaterflowing at specific locations beneath the shipyard will eventually discharge directly to Sinclair Inlet of Puget Sound, or if it will discharge to the drainage system of one of the six dry docks located in the shipyard. A 1997 numerical (finite difference) groundwater-flow model of the shipyard and surrounding area was constructed to help evaluate the potential for groundwater discharge to Puget Sound. That steady-state, multilayer numerical model with homogeneous hydraulic characteristics indicated that groundwaterflowing beneath nearly all of the shipyard discharges to the dry-dock drainage systems, and only shallow groundwaterflowing beneath the western end of the shipyard discharges directly to Sinclair Inlet.Updated information from a 2016 regional groundwater-flow model constructed for the greater Kitsap Peninsula was used to update the 1997 groundwater model of the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. That information included a new interpretation of the hydrogeologic units underlying the area, as well as improved recharge estimates. Other updates to the 1997 model included finer discretization of the finite-difference model grid into more layers, rows, and columns, all with reduced dimensions. This updated Puget Sound Naval Shipyard model was calibrated to 2001–2005 measured water levels, and hydraulic characteristics of the model layers representing different hydrogeologic units were estimated with the aid of state-of-the-art parameter optimization techniques.The flow directions and discharge locations predicted by this updated model generally match the 1997 model despite refinements and other changes. In the updated model, most

User experience has indicated that the documentation of the model of three-dimensional ground-waterflow (Trescott and Larson, 1975) should be expanded. This supplement is intended to fulfill that need. The original report emphasized the theory of the strongly implicit procedure, instructions for using the groundwater-flow model, and practical considerations for application. (See also W76-02962 and W76-13085) (Woodard-USGS)

Groundwater is the sole source of residential water supply in Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix Counties, Wisconsin. A regional three-dimensional groundwater-flow model and three associated demonstration inset models were developed to simulate the groundwater-flow systems in the three-county area. The models were developed by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the three county governments. The objectives of the regional model of Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix Counties were to improve understanding of the groundwaterflow system and to develop a tool suitable for evaluating the effects of potential water-management programs. The regional groundwater-flow model described in this report simulates the major hydrogeologic features of the modeled area, including bedrock and surficial aquifers, groundwater/surface-water interactions, and groundwater withdrawals from high-capacity wells. Results from the regional model indicate that about 82 percent of groundwater in the three counties is from recharge within the counties; 15 percent is from surface-water sources, consisting primarily of recirculated groundwater seepage in areas with abrupt surface-water-level changes, such as near waterfalls, dams, and the downgradient side of reservoirs and lakes; and 4 percent is from inflow across the county boundaries. Groundwaterflow out of the counties is to streams (85 percent), outflow across county boundaries (14 percent), and pumping wells (1 percent). These results demonstrate that the primary source of groundwater withdrawn by pumping wells is water that recharges within the counties and would otherwise discharge to local streams and lakes. Under current conditions, the St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers are groundwater discharge locations (gaining reaches) and appear to function as 'fully penetrating' hydraulic boundaries such that groundwater does not cross between Wisconsin and Minnesota beneath them. Being hydraulic boundaries, however, they can change in response to

The current conceptual model of the unconfined karstic aquifer in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, is that a fresh-water lens floats above denser saline water that penetrates more than 40 km inland. The transmissivity of the aquifer is very high so the hydraulic gradient is very low, ranging from 7-10 mm/km through most of the northern part of the peninsula. The computer modeling program AQUIFER was used to investigate the regional groundwaterflow in the aquifer. The karstified zone was modeled using the assumption that it acts hydraulically similar to a granular, porous medium. As part of the calibration, the following hypotheses were tested: (1) karstic features play an important role in the groundwater-flow system; (2) a ring or belt of sinkholes in the area is a manifestation of a zone of high transmissivity that facilitates the channeling of groundwater toward the Gulf of Mexico; and (3) the geologic features in the southern part of Yucatan influence the groundwater-flow system. The model shows that the Sierrita de Ticul fault, in the southwestern part of the study area, acts as a flow barrier and head values decline toward the northeast. The modeling also shows that the regional flow-system dynamics have not been altered despite the large number of pumping wells because the volume of water pumped is small compared with the volume of recharge, and the well-developed karst system of the region has a very high hydraulic conductivity. Résumé. Le modèle conceptuel classique de l'aquifère karstique libre de la péninsule du Yucatan (Mexique) consiste en une lentille d'eau douce flottant sur une eau salée plus dense qui pénètre à plus de 40 km à l'intérieur des terres. La transmissivité de l'aquifère est très élevée, en sorte que le gradient hydraulique est très faible, compris entre 7 et 10 mm/km dans la plus grande partie du nord de la péninsule. Le modèle AQUIFER a été utilisé pour explorer les écoulements souterrains régionaux dans cet

The water resources that supply most of the megacities in the world are under increased pressure because of land transformation, population growth, rapid urbanization, and climate-change impacts. Dhaka, in Bangladesh, is one of the largest of 22 growing megacities in the world, and it depends on mainly groundwater for all kinds of water needs. The regional groundwater-flow model MODFLOW-2005 was used to simulate the interaction between aquifers and rivers in steady-state and transient conditions during the period 1981-2013, to assess the impact of development and climate change on the regional groundwater resources. Detailed hydro-stratigraphic units are described according to 150 lithology logs, and a three-dimensional model of the upper 400 m of the Greater Dhaka area was constructed. The results explain how the total abstraction (2.9 million m3/d) in the Dhaka megacity, which has caused regional cones of depression, is balanced by recharge and induced river leakage. The simulated outcome shows the general trend of groundwaterflow in the sedimentary Holocene aquifers under a variety of hydrogeological conditions, which will assist in the future development of a rational and sustainable management approach.

The water resources that supply most of the megacities in the world are under increased pressure because of land transformation, population growth, rapid urbanization, and climate-change impacts. Dhaka, in Bangladesh, is one of the largest of 22 growing megacities in the world, and it depends on mainly groundwater for all kinds of water needs. The regional groundwater-flow model MODFLOW-2005 was used to simulate the interaction between aquifers and rivers in steady-state and transient conditions during the period 1981-2013, to assess the impact of development and climate change on the regional groundwater resources. Detailed hydro-stratigraphic units are described according to 150 lithology logs, and a three-dimensional model of the upper 400 m of the Greater Dhaka area was constructed. The results explain how the total abstraction (2.9 million m3/d) in the Dhaka megacity, which has caused regional cones of depression, is balanced by recharge and induced river leakage. The simulated outcome shows the general trend of groundwaterflow in the sedimentary Holocene aquifers under a variety of hydrogeological conditions, which will assist in the future development of a rational and sustainable management approach.

Process-based groundwater models are useful to understand complex aquifer systems and make predictions about their response to hydrological changes. A conceptual model for evaluating responses to environmental changes is presented, considering the hydrogeologic framework, flow processes, aquifer hydraulic properties, boundary conditions, and sources and sinks of the groundwater system. Based on this conceptual model, a quasi-three-dimensional transient groundwaterflow model was designed using MODFLOW to simulate the groundwater system of Mahanadi River delta, eastern India. The model was constructed in the context of an upper unconfined aquifer and lower confined aquifer, separated by an aquitard. Hydraulic heads of 13 shallow wells and 11 deep wells were used to calibrate transient groundwater conditions during 1997-2006, followed by validation (2007-2011). The aquifer and aquitard hydraulic properties were obtained by pumping tests and were calibrated along with the rainfall recharge. The statistical and graphical performance indicators suggested a reasonably good simulation of groundwaterflow over the study area. Sensitivity analysis revealed that groundwater level is most sensitive to the hydraulic conductivities of both the aquifers, followed by vertical hydraulic conductivity of the confining layer. The calibrated model was then employed to explore groundwater-flow dynamics in response to changes in pumping and recharge conditions. The simulation results indicate that pumping has a substantial effect on the confined aquifer flow regime as compared to the unconfined aquifer. The results and insights from this study have important implications for other regional groundwater modeling studies, especially in multi-layered aquifer systems.

Various approaches have been proposed to manage the nonlinearities associated with the unconfined flow equation and to simulate perched groundwater conditions using the MODFLOW family of codes. The approaches comprise a variety of numerical techniques to prevent dry cells from becoming inactive and to achieve a stable solution focused on formulations of the unconfined, partially-saturated, groundwaterflow equation. Keeping dry cells active avoids a discontinuous head solution which in turn improves the effectiveness of parameter estimation software that relies on continuous derivatives. Most approaches implement an upstream weighting of intercell conductance and Newton-Raphson linearization to obtain robust convergence. In this study, several published approaches were implemented in a stepwise manner into MODFLOW for comparative analysis. First, a comparative analysis of the methods is presented using synthetic examples that create convergence issues or difficulty in handling perched conditions with the more common dry-cell simulation capabilities of MODFLOW. Next, a field-scale three-dimensional simulation is presented to examine the stability and performance of the discussed approaches in larger, practical, simulation settings.

Model calibration of groundwaterflow analysis is a difficult task, especially in the complicated hydrogeological condition, because available information about hydrogeological properties is very limited. This often causes non-negligible differences between predicted results and real observations. We applied the Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF), which is a type of data assimilation technique, to groundwaterflow simulation in order to obtain a valid model that can reproduce accurately the observations. Unlike conventional manual calibration, this scheme not only makes the calibration work efficient but also provides an objective approach not depending on the skills of engineers.In this study, we focused on estimating hydraulic conductivities of bedrocks and fracture zones around an underground fuel storage facility. Two different kinds of groundwater monitoring data were sequentially assimilated into the unsteady groundwaterflow model via the EnKF.Synthetic test results showed that estimated hydraulic conductivities matched their true values and our method works well in groundwaterflow analysis. Further, influences of each observation in the state updating process were quantified through sensitivity analysis.To assess the feasibility under practical conditions, the assimilation experiments using real field measurements were performed. The results showed that the identified model was able to approximately simulate the behavior of groundwaterflow. On the other hand, it was difficult to reproduce the observation data correctly in a specific local area. This suggests that inaccurate area is included in the assumed hydrogeological conceptual model of this site, and could be useful information for the model validation.

Due to differences in hydraulic conductivity and effects of well construction geometry, groundwater lateral flow through a monitoring well typically differs from groundwaterflow in the surrounding aquifer. These differences must be well understood in order to apply passive measuring techniques, such as passive flux meters (PFMs) used for the measurement of groundwater and contaminant mass fluxes. To understand these differences, lab flow tank experiments were performed to evaluate the influences of the well screen, the surrounding filter pack and the presence of a PFM on the natural groundwater flux through a monitoring well. The results were compared with analytical calculations of flow field distortion based on the potential theory of Drost et al. (1968). Measured well flow field distortion factors were found to be lower than calculated flow field distortion factors, while measured PFM flow field distortion factors were comparable to the calculated ones. However, this latter is not the case for all conditions. The slotted geometry of the well screen seems to make a correct analytical calculation challenging for conditions where flow field deviation occurs, because the potential theory assumes a uniform flow field. Finally, plots of the functional relationships of the distortion of the flow field with the hydraulic conductivities of the filter screen, surrounding filter pack and corresponding radii make it possible to design well construction to optimally function during PFM applications.

This paper presents the development of a fully coupled surface water and groundwaterflow model. The governing equations of the model are derived based on a control volume approach, with the velocity profiles of the two types of flows being both taken into consideration. The surface water and groundwaterflows are both modelled based on the unified equations and the water exchange and interaction between the two types of flows can be taken into account. The model can be used to simulate the surface water and groundwaterflows simultaneously with the same numerical scheme without other effort being needed to link them. The model is not only suitable for the porous medium consisting of fine sediments, but also for coarse sediments and crushed rocks by adding a quadratic friction term. Benchmark tests are conducted to validate the model. The model predictions agree well with the data.

Contaminants introduced into the subsurface of the Nevada Test Site by underground nuclear testing are of concern to the U.S. Department of Energy and regulators responsible for protecting human health and safety. The potential for contaminant movement away from the underground test areas and into the accessible environment is greatest by groundwater transport. The primary hydrologic control on this transport is evaluated and examined through a series of contour maps developed to represent the hydraulic-head distribution within each of the major aquifers underlying the area. Aquifers were identified and their extents delineated by merging and analyzing multiple hydrostratigraphic framework models developed by other investigators from existing geologic information. A map of the hydraulic-head distribution in each major aquifer was developed from a detailed evaluation and assessment of available water-level measurements. Multiple spreadsheets that accompany this report provide pertinent water-level and geologic data by well or drill hole. Aquifers are mapped and discussed in general terms as being one of two types: alluvial-volcanic, or carbonate. Both aquifer types are subdivided and mapped as independent regional and local aquifers, based on the continuity of their component rock. Groundwater-flow directions, approximated from potentiometric contours that were developed from the hydraulic-head distribution, are indicated on the maps and discussed for each of the regional aquifers and for selected local aquifers. Hydraulic heads vary across the study area and are interpreted to range in altitude from greater than 5,000 feet in a regional alluvial-volcanic aquifer beneath a recharge area in the northern part of the study area to less than 2,300 feet in regional alluvial-volcanic and carbonate aquifers in the southwestern part of the study area. Flow directions throughout the study area are dominantly south-southwest with some local deviations. Vertical hydraulic

Groundwater is the sole source of drinking water for the population of Bainbridge Island. Increased use of groundwater supplies on Bainbridge Island as the population has grown over time has created concern about the quantity of water available and whether saltwater intrusion will occur as groundwater usage increases. A groundwater-flow model was developed to aid in the understanding of the groundwater system and the effects of groundwater development alternatives on the water resources of Bainbridge Island. Bainbridge Island is underlain by unconsolidated deposits of glacial and nonglacial origin. The surficial geologic units and the deposits at depth were differentiated into aquifers and confining units on the basis of areal extent and general water-bearing characteristics. Eleven principal hydrogeologic units are recognized in the study area and form the basis of the groundwater-flow model. A transient variable-density groundwater-flow model of Bainbridge Island and the surrounding area was developed to simulate current (2008) groundwater conditions. The model was calibrated to water levels measured during 2007 and 2008 using parameter estimation (PEST) to minimize the weighted differences or residuals between simulated and measured hydraulic head. The calibrated model was used to make some general observations of the groundwater system in 2008. Total flow through the groundwater system was about 31,000 acre-ft/ yr. The recharge to the groundwater system was from precipitation and septic-system returns. Groundwaterflow to Bainbridge Island accounted for about 1,000 acre-ft/ yr or slightly more than 5 percent of the recharge amounts. Groundwater discharge was predominately to streams, lakes, springs, and seepage faces (16,000 acre-ft/yr) and directly to marine waters (10,000 acre-ft/yr). Total groundwater withdrawals in 2008 were slightly more than 6 percent (2,000 acre-ft/yr) of the total flow. The calibrated model was used to simulate predevelopment conditions

The Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) SR 97 study is a comprehensive performance assessment illustrating the results for three hypothetical repositories in Sweden. In support of SR 97, this study examines the hydrogeologic modelling of the hypothetical site called Ceberg, which adopts input parameters from the SKB study site near Gideaa, in northern Sweden. This study uses a nested modelling approach, with a deterministic regional model providing boundary conditions to a site-scale stochastic continuum model. The model is run in Monte Carlo fashion to propagate the variability of the hydraulic conductivity to the advective travel paths from representative canister locations. A series of variant cases addresses uncertainties in the inference of parameters and the model of conductive fracturezones. The study uses HYDRASTAR, the SKB stochastic continuum (SC) groundwater modelling program, to compute the heads, Darcy velocities at each representative canister position, and the advective travel times and paths through the geosphere. The volumetric flow balance between the regional and site-scale models suggests that the nested modelling and associated upscaling of hydraulic conductivities preserve mass balance only in a general sense. In contrast, a comparison of the base and deterministic (Variant 4) cases indicates that the upscaling is self-consistent with respect to median travel time and median canister flux. These suggest that the upscaling of hydraulic conductivity is approximately self-consistent but the nested modelling could be improved. The Base Case yields the following results for a flow porosity of {epsilon}{sub f} 10{sup -4} and a flow-wetted surface area of a{sub r} = 0.1 m{sup 2}/(m{sup 3} rock): The median travel time is 1720 years. The median canister flux is 3.27x10{sup -5} m/year. The median F-ratio is 1.72x10{sup 6} years/m. The base case and the deterministic variant suggest that the variability of the travel times within

A ground-waterflow model was used in conjunction with particle tracking to evaluate ground-water vulnerability in Clark County, Washington. Using the particle-tracking program, particles were placed in every cell of the flow model (about 60,000 particles) and tracked backwards in time and space upgradient along flow paths to their recharge points. A new computer program was developed that interfaces the results from a particle-tracking program with a geographic information system (GIS). The GIS was used to display and analyze the particle-tracking results. Ground-water vulnerability was evaluated by selecting parts of the ground-waterflow system and combining the results with ancillary information stored in the GIS to determine recharge areas, characteristics of recharge areas, downgradient impact of land use at recharge areas, and age of ground water. Maps of the recharge areas for each hydrogeologic unit illustrate the presence of local, intermediate, or regional ground-waterflow systems and emphasize the three-dimensional nature of the ground-waterflow system in Clark County. Maps of the recharge points for each hydrogeologic unit were overlaid with maps depicting aquifer sensitivity as determined by DRASTIC (a measure of the pollution potential of ground water, based on the intrinsic characteristics of the near-surface unsaturated and saturated zones) and recharge from on-site waste-disposal systems. A large number of recharge areas were identified, particularly in southern Clark County, that have a high aquifer sensitivity, coincide with areas of recharge from on-site waste-disposal systems, or both. Using the GIS, the characteristics of the recharge areas were related to the downgradient parts of the ground-water system that will eventually receive flow that has recharged through these areas. The aquifer sensitivity, as indicated by DRASTIC, of the recharge areas for downgradient parts of the flow system was mapped for each hydrogeologic unit. A number of

The groundwaterflow system of the Nevada Test Site and surrounding region was evaluated to estimate the highest potential current and near-term risk to the public and the environment from groundwater contamination downgradient of the underground nuclear testing areas. The highest, or greatest, potential risk is estimated by assuming that several unusually rapid transport pathways as well as public and environmental exposures all occur simultaneously. These conservative assumptions may cause risks to be significantly overestimated. However, such a deliberate, conservative approach ensures that public health and environmental risks are not underestimated and allows prioritization of future work to minimize potential risks. Historical underground nuclear testing activities, particularly detonations near or below the water table, have contaminated groundwater near testing locations with radioactive and nonradioactive constituents. Tritium was selected as the contaminant of primary concern for this phase of the project because it is abundant, highly mobile, and represents the most significant contributor to the potential radiation dose to humans for the short term. It was also assumed that the predicted risk to human health and the environment from tritium exposure would reasonably represent the risk from other, less mobile radionuclides within the same time frame. Other contaminants will be investigated at a later date. Existing and newly collected hydrogeologic data were compiled for a large area of southern Nevada and California, encompassing the Nevada Test Site regional groundwaterflow system. These data were used to develop numerical groundwaterflow and tritium transport models for use in the prediction of tritium concentrations at hypothetical human and ecological receptor locations for a 200-year time frame. A numerical, steady-state regional groundwaterflow model was developed to serve as the basis for the prediction of the movement of tritium from the

This report documents the GroundwaterFlow (GWF) Model for a new version of MODFLOW called MODFLOW 6. The GWF Model for MODFLOW 6 is based on a generalized control-volume ﬁnite-difference approach in which a cell can be hydraulically connected to any number of surrounding cells. Users can deﬁne the model grid using one of three discretization packages, including (1) a structured discretization package for deﬁning regular MODFLOW grids consisting of layers, rows, and columns, (2) a discretization by ver­tices package for deﬁning layered unstructured grids consisting of layers and cells, and (3) a general unstruc­tured discretization package for deﬁning ﬂexible grids comprised of cells and their connection properties. For layered grids, a new capability is available for removing thin cells and vertically connecting cells overlying and underlying the thin cells. For complex problems involving water-table conditions, an optional Newton-Raphson formulation, based on the formulations in MODFLOW-NWT and MODFLOW-USG, can be acti­vated. Use of the Newton-Raphson formulation will often improve model convergence and allow solutions to be obtained for difﬁcult problems that cannot be solved using the traditional wetting and drying approach. The GWF Model is divided into “packages,” as was done in previous MODFLOW versions. A package is the part of the model that deals with a single aspect of simulation. Packages included with the GWF Model include those related to internal calculations of groundwater ﬂow (discretization, initial conditions, hydraulic conduc­tance, and storage), stress packages (constant heads, wells, recharge, rivers, general head boundaries, drains, and evapotranspiration), and advanced stress packages (streamﬂow routing, lakes, multi-aquifer wells, and unsaturated zone ﬂow). An additional package is also available for moving water available in one package into the individual features of the advanced stress packages. The GWF Model

Understanding the nature of communication between aquifers can be challenging when using traditional physical and geochemical groundwater sampling approaches. This study uses two multiport wells completed within Edwards and Trinity aquifers in central Texas to determine the degree of groundwater inter-flow between adjacent aquifers. Potentiometric surfaces, hydraulic conductivities, and groundwater major ion concentrations and Sr isotope values were measured from multiple zones within three hydrostratigraphic units (Edwards and Upper and Middle Trinity aquifers). Physical and geochemical data from the multiport wells were combined with historical measurements of groundwater levels and geochemical compositions from the region to characterize groundwaterflow and identify controls on the geochemical compositions of the Edwards and Trinity aquifers. Our results suggest that vertical groundwaterflow between Edwards and Middle Trinity aquifers is likely limited by low permeability, evaporite-rich units within the Upper and Middle Trinity. Potentiometric surface levels in both aquifers vary with changes in wet vs. dry conditions, indicating that recharge to both aquifers occurs through distinct recharge areas. Geochemical compositions in the Edwards, Upper, and Middle Trinity aquifers are distinct and likely reflect groundwater interaction with different lithologies (e.g., carbonates, evaporites, and siliceous sediments) as opposed to mixing of groundwater between the aquifers. These results have implications for the management of these aquifers as they indicate that, under current conditions, pumping of either aquifer will likely not induce vertical cross-formational flow between the aquifers. Inter-flow between the Trinity and the Edwards aquifers, however, should be reevaluated as pumping patterns and hydrogeologic conditions change.

probes, having closely spaced electrodes from above the groundwater table to a depth of 5 m below sea level, have been installed and tested. Using this system we will monitor resistivity and thus groundwater salinity variations in space and time. Analyzing the measurements using density dependent......Preliminary geophysical and hydrogeological investigations indicate that multi-electrode profiling (MEP) can be used to monitor groundwater salinity on a coastal barrier where a shallow thin aquifer discharges to the North Sea. A monitoring system including five groups of piezometers and five MEP...... groundwater modeling we hope to be able to quantify how time varying recharge, tides, and storms hitting the barrier affect groundwaterflow and discharge to the sea. At the conference we will present monitoring results from the winter and spring 2008....

Is groundwater abundant in Antarctica and does it modulate ice flow? Answering this question matters because ice streams flow by gliding over a wet substrate of till. Water fed to ice-stream beds thus influences ice-sheet dynamics and, potentially, sea-level rise. It is recognised that both till and the sedimentary basins from which it originates are porous and could host a reservoir of mobile groundwater that interacts with the subglacial interfacial system. According to recent numerical modelling up to half of all water available for basal lubrication, and time lags between hydrological forcing and ice-sheet response as long as millennia, may have been overlooked in models of ice flow. Here, we review evidence in support of Antarctic groundwater and propose how it can be measured to ascertain the extent to which it modulates ice flow. We present new seismoelectric soundings of subglacial till, and new magnetotelluric and transient electromagnetic forward models of subglacial groundwater reservoirs. We demonstrate that multi-facetted and integrated geophysical datasets can detect, delineate and quantify the groundwater contents of subglacial sedimentary basins and, potentially, monitor groundwater exchange rates between subglacial till layers. We thus describe a new area of glaciological investigation and how it should progress in future.

Nearly 2 billion people use groundwater and in Canada it is the potable water supply for about 30% of the population. Groundwater is also used in industrial and agricultural applications, and contributes to important hydrological habitats for various species. Limited research has been conducted to determine the potential impacts of climate change on groundwater. Local studies are crucial to better understand how, for example, increased duration and frequency of storms or drought periods may affect groundwater dependent ecosystems in order to anticipate and mitigate the impacts. Thus, the aim of this research is to explore the effects of climate change on a groundwater-surface water interacting system that supports a fragile ecosystem. This research is used to inform ecological conservation measures. The research site is the 17500 ha Covey Hill Natural Laboratory, which is located on the Quebec, Canada and New York State, USA border in the Chateauguay River watershed. At various locations within the Natural Laboratory there is continuous monitoring of groundwater levels and river flows. Covey Hill is an important recharge zone for the regional aquifer and provides habitat for endangered salamanders in discharge zones. Two hydrogeological models were constructed to represent flow at the site. First, a three-dimensional, finite difference model was developed using MODFLOW software to simulate overall groundwaterflow at the research site. Second, a smaller-scale, discrete fracture, transient, three-dimensional, finite difference, integrated model was developed using HydroGeoSphere software to represent in better detail flow from bedrock springs that occur at mid-slope and provide the habitat for endangered salamanders. The models were used to: 1) observe groundwaterflow under current climate conditions; 2) quantify water dynamics in response to climate change using 10 scenarios from the Canadian Regional Climate Model (for 1971-2000 and 2041-2070 time periods); and 3

The Independence Basin in the semi-arid Guanajuato state of central Mexico is facing serious groundwater resources deficiency due to an increasing demand linked to a rapid population growth and agricultural development. This problem is aggravated by an inadequate evaluation of groundwater resources in the region. Geochemistry and isotopic tracers were used in order to investigate the groundwaterflow system and estimate the groundwater residence time. The groundwater is characterized by low salinity with some exceptions associated to a contribution of more saline groundwater from deep formations. The predominant reactions are CO 2 gas dissolution, carbonate dissolution, albite weathering, kaolinite and chalcedony precipitation. Six principal hydrochemical zones were recognized, which provided information on plausible recharge sources and groundwater chemical evolution. The 14C concentration varies between 19 and 94 pmc. The high 14C values indicating recent recharge are observed at the basin margins and a trend to lower 14C values is observed along the modern groundwaterflow paths. The groundwater residence time according to radiocarbon estimations ranges between recent and ˜11 ka. The residence time distribution matches the regional important discharge zones west in the basin center (from Dolores Hidalgo and southwest from Doctor Mora). Hydrochemical tracers are in general agreement with the predeveloped and current hydraulic-head configuration, however, show some inconsistencies with the predeveloped head in the downgradient areas, which means that the impact by gradually increasing groundwater extraction during the last decades is reflected on radiocarbon age distribution. Geochemical evidences imply that the recharge input from the northern basin area is insignificant.

Groundwater in the vicinity of several industrial facilities in Upper Gwynedd Township and vicinity, Montgomery County, in southeast Pennsylvania has been shown to be contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the most common of which is the solvent trichloroethylene (TCE). The 2-square-mile area was placed on the National Priorities List as the North Penn Area 7 Superfund site by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) in 1989. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted geophysical logging, aquifer testing, and water-level monitoring, and measured streamflows in and near North Penn Area 7 from fall 2000 through fall 2006 in a technical assistance study for the USEPA to develop an understanding of the hydrogeologic framework in the area as part of the USEPA Remedial Investigation. In addition, the USGS developed a groundwater-flow computer model based on the hydrogeologic framework to simulate regional groundwaterflow and to estimate directions of groundwaterflow and pathways of groundwater contaminants. The study area is underlain by Triassic- and Jurassic-age sandstones and shales of the Lockatong Formation and Brunswick Group in the Mesozoic Newark Basin. Regionally, these rocks strike northeast and dip to the northwest. The sequence of rocks form a fractured-sedimentary-rock aquifer that acts as a set of confined to partially confined layers of differing permeabilities. Depth to competent bedrock typically is less than 20 ft below land surface. The aquifer layers are recharged locally by precipitation and discharge locally to streams. The general configuration of the potentiometric surface in the aquifer is similar to topography, except in areas affected by pumping. The headwaters of Wissahickon Creek are nearby, and the stream flows southwest, parallel to strike, to bisect North Penn Area 7. Groundwater is pumped in the vicinity of North Penn Area 7 for industrial use, public supply, and residential supply. Results of field investigations

A regional groundwaterflow model encompassing approximately 100 mi{sup 2} surrounding the C, K. L. and P reactor areas has been developed. The Reactor flow model is designed to meet the planning objectives outlined in the General Groundwater Strategy for Reactor Area Projects by providing a common framework for analyzing groundwaterflow, contaminant migration and remedial alternatives within the Reactor Projects team of the Environmental Restoration Department.

A three-dimensional numerical model of groundwaterflow was developed for the Wood River Valley (WRV) aquifer system, Idaho, to evaluate groundwater and surface-water availability at the regional scale. This mountain valley is located in Blaine County and has a drainage area of about 2,300 square kilometers (888 square miles). The model described in this report can serve as a tool for water-rights administration and water-resource management and planning. The model was completed with support from the Idaho Department of Water Resources, and is part of an ongoing U.S. Geological Survey effort to characterize the groundwater resources of the WRV. A highly reproducible approach was taken for constructing the WRV groundwater-flow model. The collection of datasets, source code, and processing instructions used to construct and analyze the model was distributed as an R statistical-computing and graphics package.

The many varied though related terms developed by ground-water hydrologists and by soils engineers are useful to each discipline, but their differences in terminology hinder the use of related information in interdisciplinary studies. Equations for the Terzaghi theory of consolidation and equations for ground-waterflow are identical under specific conditions. A combination of the two sets of equations relates porosity to void ratio and relates the modulus of elasticity to the coefficient of compressibility, coefficient of volume compressibility, compression index, coefficient of consolidation, specific storage, and ultimate compaction. Also, transient ground-waterflow is related to coefficient of consolidation, rate of soil compaction, and hydraulic conductivity. Examples show that soils-engineering data and concepts are useful to solution of problems in ground-water hydrology.

The Matanuska-Susitna Valley is in the Upper Cook Inlet Basin and is currently undergoing rapid population growth outside of municipal water and sewer service areas. In response to concerns about the effects of increasing water use on future groundwater availability, a study was initiated between the Alaska Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Geological Survey. The goals of the study were (1) to compile existing data and collect new data to support hydrogeologic conceptualization of the study area, and (2) to develop a groundwaterflow model to simulate flow dynamics important at the regional scale. The purpose of the groundwaterflow model is to provide a scientific framework for analysis of regional-scale groundwater availability. To address the first study goal, subsurface lithologic data were compiled into a database and were used to construct a regional hydrogeologic framework model describing the extent and thickness of hydrogeologic units in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. The hydrogeologic framework model synthesizes existing maps of surficial geology and conceptual geochronologies developed in the study area with the distribution of lithologies encountered in hundreds of boreholes. The geologic modeling package Geological Surveying and Investigation in Three Dimensions (GSI3D) was used to construct the hydrogeologic framework model. In addition to characterizing the hydrogeologic framework, major groundwater-budget components were quantified using several different techniques. A land-surface model known as the Deep Percolation Model was used to estimate in-place groundwater recharge across the study area. This model incorporates data on topography, soils, vegetation, and climate. Model-simulated surface runoff was consistent with observed streamflow at U.S. Geological Survey streamgages. Groundwater withdrawals were estimated on the basis of records from major water suppliers during 2004-2010. Fluxes between groundwater and surface water were

The U.S. Geological Survey developed a groundwaterflow model for the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system from Long Island, New York, to northeastern North Carolina as part of a detailed assessment of the groundwater availability of the area and included an evaluation of how these resources have changed over time from stresses related to human uses and climate trends. The assessment was necessary because of the substantial dependency on groundwater for agricultural, industrial, and municipal needs in this area.

quasi-stationary equilibrium within the model area. The coupled ecosystem and radionuclide models were used to simulate present conditions, i.e. 2020 AD. Six radionuclides were modelled explicitly in addition to C-14. They represent a wide range of accumulation potentials and partition coefficients (K{sub d}, distribution of radionuclides between water, sediment and biota). The ecosystem and associated radionuclide model include a detailed sediment module where radionuclides can be bound by adsorption to the organic and inorganic fractions, be precipitated, be transported by resuspension and later deposited at larger depths. With the exception of radionuclides with very low particle affinity, such as Cl-35, the majority of radionuclides released in basins where they were introduced via groundwaterflow remained in the sediments even after a simulation period of eight years. The spread of radionuclides with high partition coefficients for sediments from areas with groundwaterflow takes place by sediment resuspension and subsequent transport and sedimentation. In the case of radionuclides with lower partition coefficients, release from the sediments to the water column followed by transport of dissolved radionuclides by currents plays a larger role. A significant result of the modelling was the quantification of the seasonal and spatial variation in radionuclide accumulation and in bioconcentration factors (BCFs) with spatial variation of BCFs often ranging 2 to 3 orders of magnitude. This variation was dominated by spatial differences in concentrations of radionuclides in water. In basins where radionuclides were introduced by groundwaterflow, BCFs were typically 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than in deep basins without radionuclide release in the groundwater. In phytoplankton and grazers, bioconcentration factors (BCFs) scaled linearly to partition coefficients (Kd), underlining the fact that adsorption is an important process for radionuclide accumulation in the

We have developed automated sensor and analyzer devices for detection and monitoring of trace radionuclides in water, using preconcentrating columns and radiometric detection. The preconcentrating minicolumn sensor concept combines selective capture and detection in a single functional unit, where the column contains tens to hundreds of milligrams of selectively sorbent material, and the entire column content is monitored with a radiometric detector. Compared to thin film sensors with a few microgram of sorbent, this approach achieves tremendous preconcentration with efficient mass transport via pumping. Furthermore, in an equilibration-based mode of operation, the preconcentration by the sensor is maximized while eliminating the need for consumable reagents to regenerate the column; it can simply be re-equilibrated. We have demonstrated quantification of radionuclides such as technetium-99 to levels below drinking water standards in an equilibration-based process that produces steady state signals, signal proportional to concentration, and easy re-equilibration to new concentration levels. Alternatively, analyzers can be developed with separate separation and detection units that are fluidically linked. We have demonstrated detection of strontium-90 to levels below drinking water standards by this approach. We are developing autonomous systems for at-site monitoring on the Hanford Site in Washington State, using the fluidic sensor and analyzer methods, with the aim of monitoring natural and accelerated attenuation processes, remediation and barrier performance, and contaminant fluxes in the environment. Figure 1. The strontium-90 monitoring method deployed as part of the Burge Environmental Universal Sensor Platform, shown on the shores of the Columbia River on the Hanford site in Washington State.

Groundwaterflow models are usually calibrated with respect to water level measurements collected at intervals of several months or even years. Measurements of these kinds are not sensitive to sudden or short stress conditions, such as impact from stormwater drainage flow or flas...

In order to improve the finite analytic method's adaptability for irregular unit, by using coordinates rotation technique this paper establishes a five-point element scheme of finite analytic method. It not only solves unsteady groundwaterflow equation but also gives the boundary condition. This method can be used to calculate the three typical questions of groundwater. By compared with predecessor's computed result, the result of this method is more satisfactory.

High elevation meadows in the Sierra Nevada of California, USA represent mixing zones between surface water and groundwater. Quantifying the exchange between stream water and groundwater, and the residence time of water stored in meadow sediments will allow examination of the possible buffer effect that groundwater has on meadows and streams. This in turn has implications for the resilience of the ecosystem as well as the downstream communities that are dependent upon runoff for water supply. Stream flow was measured and water samples were collected along a 5 km reach of the Tuolumne River and adjacent wells during both spring runoff and baseflow. Water samples were analyzed for concentrations of dissolved noble gases and anions, sulfur-35, tritium and radon to study surface water-groundwater interactions and residence times. Although lower than average because of the ongoing drought in California, discharge in early July 2015 was about 35 times that measured during the previous fall. During baseflow, a small component of fracture flow (2%) is identified using dissolved helium. Radon, anions and stream discharge identify reaches of groundwater discharge. Anions show a steady increase in the groundwater component over the western portion of the meadow during baseflow, and over 50% of stream water is exchanged with meadow groundwater, without a net gain or loss of stream flow. Sulfur-35 and tritium results indicated that groundwater contributing to stream flow has recharged within the previous two years. With the current drought, estimated as the most severe in 1200 years, accurate estimations of water availability are becoming increasingly important to water resource managers.

Radionuclides find their way into the water resources at sites in the vicinity of nuclear facilities involved in mining, milling, ore separation, purification, etc. The presented study delineates the distribution of radionuclides (Ra and U(nat)) in groundwaters existing in the vicinity of two proposed uranium mine sites and evaluates their ingestion dose through the intake of drinking water. The study reveals that the U(nat) concentration in groundwater varied from <0.5 to 11.2 {mu}g.l{sup -1} in the Bagjata mining area and from <0.5 to 27.5 {mu}g.l{sup -1} in the Banduhurang mining area, while {sup 226}Ra was found in the range of <3.5 to 206 mBq.l{sup -1} and <3.5 to 82 mBq.l{sup -1}, respectively, for both areas. Seasonal variation and distribution of radionuclides in the study area did not show any definite pattern. A strong positive correlation of U(nat) in groundwater with pH and negative correlation of {sup 226}Ra with pH is shown in the study. The ingestion dose to the public through intake of drinking water is estimated as 9.43 {mu}Sv.y{sup -1} for Bagjata and 6.28 {mu}Sv.y{sup -1} for Banduhurang, which is much lower than the reference limit (100 {mu}Sv.y{sup -1}) given by the WHO. (authors)

The groundwater model documented in this report simulates the transient evolution of water levels in the aquifers and confining units of the Virginia Coastal Plain and adjacent portions of Maryland and North Carolina since 1890. Groundwater withdrawals have lowered water levels in Virginia Coastal Plain aquifers and have resulted in drawdown in the Potomac aquifer exceeding 200 feet in some areas. The discovery of the Chesapeake Bay impact crater and a revised conceptualization of the Potomac aquifer are two major changes to the hydrogeologic framework that have been incorporated into the groundwater model. The spatial scale of the model was selected on the basis of the primary function of the model of assessing the regional water-level responses of the confined aquifers beneath the Coastal Plain. The local horizontal groundwaterflow through the surficial aquifer is not intended to be accurately simulated. Representation of recharge, evapotranspiration, and interaction with surface-water features, such as major rivers, lakes, the Chesapeake Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean, enable simulation of shallow flow-system details that influence locations of recharge to and discharge from the deeper confined flow system. The increased density of groundwater associated with the transition from fresh to salty groundwater near the Atlantic Ocean affects regional groundwaterflow and was simulated with the Variable Density Flow Process of SEAWAT (a U.S. Geological Survey program for simulation of three-dimensional variable-density groundwaterflow and transport). The groundwater density distribution was generated by a separate 108,000-year simulation of Pleistocene freshwater flushing around the Chesapeake Bay impact crater during transient sea-level changes. Specified-flux boundaries simulate increasing groundwater underflow out of the model domain into Maryland and minor underflow from the Piedmont Province into the model domain. Reported withdrawals accounted for approximately

Property economics favours the vertical development of cities but flow of groundwater can be affected by the use of underground space in them. This review article presents the state of the art regarding the impact of disturbances caused by underground structures (tunnels, basements of buildings, deep foundations, etc.) on the groundwaterflow in urban aquifers. The structures built in the underground levels of urban areas are presented and organised in terms of their impact on flow: obstacle to the flow or disturbance of the groundwater budget of the flow system. These two types of disturbance are described in relation to the structure area and the urban area. The work reviewed shows, on one hand, the individual impacts of different urban underground structures, and on the other, their cumulative impacts on flow, using real case studies. Lastly, the works are placed in perspective regarding the integration of underground structures with the aim of operational management of an urban aquifer. The literature presents deterministic numerical modelling as a tool capable of contributing to this aim, in that it helps to quantify the effect of an underground infrastructure project on groundwaterflow, which is crucial for decision-making processes. It can also be an operational decision-aid tool for choosing construction techniques or for formulating strategies to manage the water resource.

The Leetown Science Center is a research facility operated by the U.S. Geological Survey that occupies approximately 455-acres near Kearneysville, Jefferson County, West Virginia. Aquatic and fish research conducted at the Center requires adequate supplies of high-quality, cold ground water. Three large springs and three production wells currently (in 2006) supply water to the Center. The recent construction of a second research facility (National Center for Cool and Cold Water Aquaculture) operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and co-located on Center property has placed additional demands on available water resources in the area. A three-dimensional steady-state finite-difference ground-waterflow model was developed to simulate ground-waterflow in the Leetown area and was used to assess the availability of ground water to sustain current and anticipated future demands. The model also was developed to test a conceptual model of ground-waterflow in the complex karst aquifer system in the Leetown area. Due to the complexity of the karst aquifer system, a multidisciplinary research study was required to define the hydrogeologic setting. Geologic mapping, surface- and borehole-geophysical surveys, stream base-flow surveys, and aquifer tests were conducted to provide the hydrogeologic data necessary to develop and calibrate the model. It would not have been possible to develop a numerical model of the study area without the intensive data collection and methods developments components of the larger, more comprehensive hydrogeologic investigation. Results of geologic mapping and surface-geophysical surveys verified the presence of several prominent thrust faults and identified additional faults and other complex geologic structures (including overturned anticlines and synclines) in the area. These geologic structures are known to control ground-waterflow in the region. Results of this study indicate that cross-strike faults and fracture zones are major

Full Text Available Low flows of the Ilmenau River (1434 km2 in northwest Germany have decreased by about 25% over the last 50 years. In the same period, moderate climate changes have taken place and annual groundwater abstractions for sprinkler irrigation have increased by up to 50 hm3 (million m3, with a strong variation due to the respective prevailing weather conditions. Time-series analyses with multiple regression analysis allow detecting and quantifying different influences on low flows. It is also shown that farmers allocate irrigation water volumes carefully according to seasonal precipitation and temperatures. Decline of groundwater levels in summer and the low flow situation are aggravated by the cumulative effect of higher irrigation in drier years. Groundwater recharge and recovery of the water table have been observed subsequently during the winter season.

is present, the concentration variability due to a fluctuating groundwaterflow direction varies significantly within the control plane and between the different realizations. Determination of contaminant mass fluxes is also influenced by the temporal variability of the concentration measurement, especially......Monitoring of contaminant concentrations, e.g., for the estimation of mass discharge or contaminant degradation rates. often is based on point measurements at observation wells. In addition to the problem, that point measurements may not be spatially representative. a further complication may arise...... due to the temporal dynamics of groundwaterflow, which may cause a concentration measurement to be not temporally representative. This paper presents results from a numerical modeling study focusing on temporal variations of the groundwaterflow direction. "Measurements" are obtained from point...

According to practical geological and hydrogeological conditions of riverside water-supply well fields in northwestern China, an ideal hydrogeological model has been generalized and a three-dimensional mathematical model has been set up. A finite difference method was applied to simulating groundwaterflow near a partially penetrating river under riverside pumping, and to analyzing the effects of river width, partial penetration and permeability of riverbed sediments on groundwater recharges. Results show that riverside pumping may cause groundwater to flow beneath the partially penetrating river, and that river width, penetration and riverbed permeability obviously influence flows from the partially penetrating river and constant-head boundaries. However, the pumping output is mainly from the partially penetrating river.

Contamination of the subsurface by radionuclides is a persistent and vexing problem for the Department of Energy. These radionuclides must be measured in field studies and monitoed in the long term when they cannot be removed. However, no radionuclide sensors existed for groundwater monitoring prior to this team's research under the EMSP program Detection of a and b decays from radionuclides in water is difficult due to their short ranges in condensed media.

Four different tracer methods were used to estimate groundwaterflow velocity at a multiple-well site in the saturated alluvium south of Yucca Mountain, Nevada: (1) two single-well tracer tests with different rest or "shut-in" periods, (2) a cross-hole tracer test with an extended flow interruption, (3) a comparison of two tracer decay curves in an injection borehole with and without pumping of a downgradient well, and (4) a natural-gradient tracer test. Such tracer methods are potentially very useful for estimating groundwater velocities when hydraulic gradients are flat (and hence uncertain) and also when water level and hydraulic conductivity data are sparse, both of which were the case at this test location. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the first three methods for their ability to provide reasonable estimates of relatively low groundwaterflow velocities in such low-hydraulic-gradient environments. The natural-gradient method is generally considered to be the most robust and direct method, so it was used to provide a "ground truth" velocity estimate. However, this method usually requires several wells, so it is often not practical in systems with large depths to groundwater and correspondingly high well installation costs. The fact that a successful natural gradient test was conducted at the test location offered a unique opportunity to compare the flow velocity estimates obtained by the more easily deployed and lower risk methods with the ground-truth natural-gradient method. The groundwaterflow velocity estimates from the four methods agreed very well with each other, suggesting that the first three methods all provided reasonably good estimates of groundwaterflow velocity at the site. The advantages and disadvantages of the different methods, as well as some of the uncertainties associated with them are discussed. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The Tono Geoscience Center (TGC) has been developing the GEOMASS system since 1997 to evaluate the groundwaterflow at depth in a rock mass. The system provides an integrated simulation system environment for both model development and groundwaterflow simulations. The integrated simulation system allows users to use resources efficiently. The system also allows users to make rapid improvement of their models as data increases. Also, it is possible to perform more realistic groundwaterflow simulations due to the capability of modeling the rock mass as a continuum with discrete hydro-structural features in the rock. TGC tested the operation and usefulness of the GEOMASS system by applying to groundwaterflow simulations in the Tono area, Gifu Prefecture. TGC confirmed that the system is very useful for complex geological models and multiple modeling. (author)

The Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) SR 97 study is a comprehensive performance assessment illustrating the results for three hypothetical repositories in Sweden. In support of SR 97, this study examines the hydrogeologic modelling of the hypothetical site called Aberg, which adopts input parameters from the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory in southern Sweden. This study uses a nested modelling approach, with a deterministic regional model providing boundary conditions to a site-scale stochastic continuum model. The model is run in Monte Carlo fashion to propagate the variability of the hydraulic conductivity to the advective travel paths from representative canister locations. A series of variant cases addresses uncertainties in the inference of parameters and the boundary conditions. The study uses HYDRASTAR, the SKB stochastic continuum groundwater modelling program, to compute the heads, Darcy velocities at each representative canister position and the advective travel times and paths through the geosphere. The nested modelling approach and the scale dependency of hydraulic conductivity raise a number of questions regarding the regional to site-scale mass balance and the method`s self-consistency. The transfer of regional heads via constant head boundaries preserves the regional pattern recharge and discharge in the site-scale model, and the regional to site-scale mass balance is thought to be adequate. The upscaling method appears to be approximately self-consistent with respect to the median performance measures at various grid scales. A series of variant cases indicates that the study results are insensitive to alternative methods on transferring boundary conditions from the regional model to the site-scale model. The flow paths, travel times and simulated heads appear to be consistent with on-site observations and simple scoping calculations. The variabilities of the performance measures are quite high for the Base Case, but the

Buried subglacial valleys are widely distributed in glaciated regions and they can have great influence on groundwaterflow and hence on groundwater resources. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of the buried valleys on groundwaterflow in a confined aquifer (Middle Devonian Eifelian stage Arukila aquifer, D2ar) applying numerical modelling. The study area is located at vicinity of Ventspils Town, near wellfield Ogsils where number of the buried valleys with different depth and filling material are present. Area is located close to the Baltic Sea at Piejūra lowland Rinda plain and regional groundwaterflow is towards sea. Territory is covered by thin layer of Quaternary sediments in thicknesses of 10 to 20 meters although Prequaternary sediments are exposed at some places. Buried valleys are characterized as narrow, elongated and deep formations that is be filled with various, mainly Pleistocene glacigene sediments - either till loam of different ages or sand and gravel or interbedding of both above mentioned. The filling material of the valleys influences groundwaterflow in the confined aquifers which is intercepted by the valleys. It is supposed that glacial till loam filled valleys serves as a barrier to groundwaterflow and as a recharge conduit when filled with sand and gravel deposits. Numerical model was built within MOSYS modelling system (Virbulis et al. 2012) using finite element method in order to investigate buried valley influence on groundwaterflow in the study area. Several conceptual models were tested in numerical model depending on buried valley filling material: sand and gravel, till loam or mixture of them. Groundwaterflow paths and travel times were studied. Results suggested that valley filled with glacial till is acting as barrier and it causes sharp drop of piezometric head and downward flow. Valley filled with sand and gravel have almost no effect on piezometric head distribution, however it this case buried valleys

Extensive studies of the behavior of plutonium and americium in pH approx. = 8 groundwaters were made, particularly with respect to container sorption, filtering, and centrifugation. Significant improvements in the method used for measuring sorption ratios for these elements were developed, and their sorption-desorption ratios on argillite and tuff were measured. Effects of particle size, temperature, sampling location, mineralogy, and time were investigated for these elements. The chemical composition of the water was found to be a major factor that governs sorption behavior. Studies of the sorption of strontion, cesium, barium, cerium, europium, uranium, and americium on Hainesville salt dome materials were made under aerobic and anoxic (<0.2 ppM oxygen) conditions using two synthetic groundwaters: one represented the Wilcox aquifer in the Hainesville region and the second was a dilute brine. Studies of the sorption of strontium, cesium, barium, cerium, europium, and uranium(VI) on granite and argillite were made under anoxic (<0.2 ppM oxygen) conditions and the results were compared to earlier measurements made under aerobic conditions. The sorption of uranium(VI) on argillite under atmospheric conditions was investigated. Measurements of migration rates in crushed granite, argillite, and tuff were made and compared with batch results. Infiltration experiments involving the forced injection of activity into intact and fractured cores were also performed. Microautoradiographic techniques were used to detect specific sorption sites. This latter technique was also used to characterize the sorption of plutonium and neptunium on polished thin-sections of alluvium, granite, tuff, and argillite and to assess the amount of aggregation that occurred. Additional physical and chemical characterizations of the materials used in these studies were made, and new analytical techniques were developed.

Radionuclide and metal contaminants are present in the vadose zone and groundwater throughout the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) weapons complex. In situ containment and stabilization of these contaminants in vadose zones or groundwater is a cost-effective treatment strategy. Our facilitated approach relies upon the hydrolysis of introduced urea to cause the acceleration of calcium carbonate precipitation (and trace metal coprecipitation) by increasing groundwater pH and alkalinity (Fujita et al., 2000; Warren et al., 2001). Subsurface urea hydrolysis is catalyzed by the urease enzyme, which may be either introduced with the urea or produced in situ by ubiquitous subsurface urea hydrolyzing microorganisms. Because the precipitation processes are irreversible and many western aquifers are saturated with respect to calcite, the co-precipitated metals and radionuclides will be effectively removed from groundwater. The rate at which trace metals are incorporated into calcite is a function of calcite precipitation kinetics, adsorption interactions between the calcite surface and the trace metal in solution (Zachara et al., 1991), solid solution properties of the trace metal in calcite (Tesoriero and Pankow, 1996), and also the surfaces upon which the calcite is precipitating. A fundamental understanding of the coupling of calcite precipitation and trace metal partitioning, and how this occurs in aquifers and vadose environments is lacking. This report summarizes work undertaken during the second year of this project.

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — This digital data set defines the boundary of the ground-waterflow model by D'Agnese and others (1997). This steady-state, 3-layer ground-waterflow model was...

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — This digital data set defines the lateral boundary of the area simulated by the steady-state ground-waterflow model of the Death Valley regional ground-waterflow...

In last decades it has been discussed that most large ice sheets tend to reside on warm beds even in harsh clima tic conditions and subglacial melting occurs due to geothermal heat flow and deformation heat of the ice flow. However the subglacial groundwater recharge and flow conditions have been addressed in only few studies. The aim of this study is to establish the groundwaterflow pattern in the Baltic Basin below the Scandinavian ice sheet during the Late Weichselian glaciation. The calculation results are compared to the known distribution of the groundwater body of the glacial origin found in Cambrian - Vendian (Cm-V) aquifer in the Northern Estonia which is believed to have originated as a result of subglacial meltwater infiltration during the reoccurring glaciations. Steady state regional groundwaterflow model of the Baltic Basin was used to simulate the groundwaterflow beneath the ice sheet with its geometry adjusted to reflect the subglacial topography. Ice thickness modelling data (Argus&Peltier, 2010) was used for the setup of the boundary conditions: the meltwater pressure at the ice bed was assumed equal to the overlying ice mass. The modelling results suggest two main recharge areas of the Cm-V aquifer system, and reversed groundwaterflow that persisted for at least 14 thousand years. Model results show that the groundwaterflow velocities in the Cm-V aquifer in the recharge area in N-Estonia beneath the ice sheet exceeded the present velocities by a factor of 10 on average. The calculated meltwater volume recharged into the Cm-V aquifer system during the Late Weichselian corresponds roughly to the estimated, however, considering the fact, that the study area has been glaciated at least 4 times this is an overestimation. The modeling results attest the hypothesis of light dO18 groundwater glacial origin in the Cm-V aquifer system, however the volumes, timing and processes involved in the meltwater intrusion are yet to be explored. This study was

Two adjacent burial areas were excavated in a clay-rich till at a radioactive waste disposal site near West Valley in Cattaraugus County, N.Y.: (1) which contains mainly low-level radioactive wastes generated onsite by a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant, has been in operation since 1966; and (2) which contains commercial low-level radioactive wastes, was operated during 1963-75. Groundwater below the upper 3 meters of till generally moves downward through a 20- to 30-meter thick sequence of tills underlain by lacustrine and kame-delta deposits of fine sand and silt. Groundwater in the weathered, upper 3 meters of till can move laterally for several meters before either moving downward into the kame-delta deposits or discharging to the land surface. A two-dimensional finite-element model that simulates two vertical sections was used to evaluate hydrologic factors that control groundwaterflow in the till. Conditions observed during March 1983 were reproduced accurately in steady-state simulations that used four isotropic units of differing hydraulic conductivity to represent two fractured and weathered till units near land surfaces, an intermediate group of isolated till zones that contain significant amounts of fine sand and silt, and a sequence of till units at depths that have been consolidated by overburden pressure. Recharge rates used in the best-fit simulation ranged from 1.4 cm/yr along smooth, sloping or compacted surfaces to 3.8 cm/yr near swampy areas. Values of hydraulic conductivity and infiltration used in the calibrated best-fit model were nearly identical to values used in a previous model analysis of the nearby commercial-waste burial area. Results of the model simulations of a burial pit assumed to be filled with water indicate that water near the bottom of the burial pit would migrate laterally in the shallow, weathered till for 5 to 6 meters before moving downward into the unweathered till, and water near the top of the pit would move laterally

An experimental study of electrokinetic effects (streaming potential) in earth materials was undertaken. The objective was to evaluate the measurement of electrokinetic effects as a method of monitoring and predicting the movement of groundwater, contaminant plumes, and other fluids in the subsurface. The laboratory experiments verified that the electrokinetic effects in earth materials are prominent, repeatable, and can be described well to first order by a pair of coupled differential equations.

Since the original publication of the Death Valley regional groundwaterflow system (DVRFS) numerical model in 2004, more information on the regional groundwaterflow system in the form of new data and interpretations has been compiled. Cooperators such as the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Department of Energy, and Nye County, Nevada, recognized a need to update the existing regional numerical model to maintain its viability as a groundwater management tool for regional stakeholders. The existing DVRFS numerical flow model was converted to MODFLOW-2005, updated with the latest available data, and recalibrated. Five main data sets were revised: (1) recharge from precipitation varying in time and space, (2) pumping data, (3) water-level observations, (4) an updated regional potentiometric map, and (5) a revision to the digital hydrogeologic framework model.The resulting DVRFS version 2.0 (v. 2.0) numerical flow model simulates groundwaterflow conditions for the Death Valley region from 1913 to 2003 to correspond to the time frame for the most recently published (2008) water-use data. The DVRFS v 2.0 model was calibrated by using the Tikhonov regularization functionality in the parameter estimation and predictive uncertainty software PEST. In order to assess the accuracy of the numerical flow model in simulating regional flow, the fit of simulated to target values (consisting of hydraulic heads and flows, including evapotranspiration and spring discharge, flow across the model boundary, and interbasin flow; the regional water budget; values of parameter estimates; and sensitivities) was evaluated. This evaluation showed that DVRFS v. 2.0 simulates conditions similar to DVRFS v. 1.0. Comparisons of the target values with simulated values also indicate that they match reasonably well and in some cases (boundary flows and discharge) significantly better than in DVRFS v. 1.0.

We combined electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) on land and in a stream with zone-based hydraulic conductivities (from multi-level slug testing) to investigate the local geological heterogeneity of the deposits in a wetland–stream system. The detailed geology was incorporated into a numerical....... The presented approach of integrating such methods in groundwater–surface water exchange studies, proved efficient to obtain information of the controlling factors....... steady-state groundwater model that was calibrated against average head observations. The model results were tested against groundwater fluxes determined from streambed temperature measurements. Discharge varied up to one order of magnitude across the stream and the model was successful in capturing...... this variability. Water quality analyses from multi-level sampling underneath the streambed and in the wetland showed a stratification in groundwater composition with an aerobic shallow zone with oxygen and nitrate (top ∼3 m) overlying a reduced, anoxic zone. While NO3- concentrations up to 58 mg L−1 were found...

The 500m resolution CSIRO MODIS reflectance scaling evapotranspiration product (CMRSET) was combined with a gridded rainfall product to determine where in the landscape evapotranspiration exceeds rainfall over longer time periods, and by implication, where lateral inflows of river or groundwater are received and evaporated. This procedure produces valuable information for hydrological applications, including the spatial distribution of water use, the temporal distribution, and the absolute magnitude of (net) evaporation across the landscape. Practical uses that have been tested in Australia include evaluating the realism of simulated water use components in river models, attributing apparent losses from river reaches to processes and spatial locations, and identifying river and groundwater dependent ecosystems. Satellite observed inundation patterns have been used to separate surface water from groundwater use. Higher resolution Landsat imagery has been used for image enhancement, allowing smaller irrigation and wetland areas to be detected. Satellite-based land use classification helps to separate agricultural from environmental water use. The information produced is used in the Australian Water Resources Assessment (AWRA) system under development by CSIRO and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology to underpin operational delivery of water resources information.

The purpose of the saturated zone (SZ) flow and transport model abstraction task is to provide radionuclide-transport simulation results for use in the total system performance assessment (TSPA) for license application (LA) calculations. This task includes assessment of uncertainty in parameters that pertain to both groundwaterflow and radionuclide transport in the models used for this purpose. This model report documents the following: (1) The SZ transport abstraction model, which consists of a set of radionuclide breakthrough curves at the accessible environment for use in the TSPA-LA simulations of radionuclide releases into the biosphere. These radionuclide breakthrough curves contain information on radionuclide-transport times through the SZ. (2) The SZ one-dimensional (I-D) transport model, which is incorporated in the TSPA-LA model to simulate the transport, decay, and ingrowth of radionuclide decay chains in the SZ. (3) The analysis of uncertainty in groundwater-flow and radionuclide-transport input parameters for the SZ transport abstraction model and the SZ 1-D transport model. (4) The analysis of the background concentration of alpha-emitting species in the groundwater of the SZ.

Full Text Available The contamination of groundwater by degradation of buried corpses in cemeteries appears as a common reality in Brazil and worldwide. In the Fortaleza (CE, the Bom Jardim cemetery is a typical example of a contamination threat. The risk is mainly due to the fact that often the population utilizes the groundwater for different purposes. In this investigation, we analyzed the possibility of the Bom Jardim cemetery to contribute to microbiological contamination in the local aquifer. The software PMWIN PRO® was utilized to simulate the groundwaterflow and to evaluate the transport of pathogenic microorganisms presented in a pollution plume. The numerical simulation of groundwater was achieved in steady state and was admitted the advective transport of pathogenic microorganisms. The results showed a slight possibility of microbiological contamination to exceed the boundaries of the cemetery.

Jordan is an arid country with very limited water resources.Groundwater is the main source for its water supply.Mujib aquifer is located in the central part of Jordan and is a major source of drinking water for Amman,Madaba and Karak cities.High abstraction rates from Mujib aquifer during the previous years lead to a major decline in water levels and deterioration in groundwater quality. Therefore,proper groundwater management of Mujib aquifer is necessary;and groundwater ﬂow modeling is essential for proper management.For this purpose,Mod ﬂow was used to build a groundwater ﬂow model to simulate the behavior of the ﬂow system under different stresses.The model was calibrated for steady state condition by matching observed and simulated initial head counter lines.Drawdown data for the period 1985-1995 were used to calibrate the transient model by matching simulated drawdown with the observed one.Then,the transient model was validated by using drawdown data for the period 1996-2002.The results of the calibrated model showed that the horizontal hydraulic conductivity of the B2/A7 aquifer ranges between 0.001 and 40 m/d. Calibrated speci ﬁc yield ranges from 0.0001 to 0.15.The water balance for the steady state condition of Mujib aquifer indicated that the total annual direct recharge is 20.4 × 106 m3, the total annual in ﬂow is 13.0 × 106 m3, springs discharge is 15.3 × 106 m3, and total annual out ﬂow is 18.7 × 106 m3. Different scenarios were considered to predict aquifer system response under different conditions. The results of the sensitivity analysis show that the model is highly sensitive to horizontal hydraulic conductivity and anisotropy and with lower level to the recharge rates.Also the model is sensitive to speciﬁc yield.

Information about catchment-scale groundwater dynamics is necessary to understand how catchments store and release water and why water quantity and quality varies in streams. However, groundwater level monitoring is often restricted to a limited number of sites. Knowledge of the factors that determine similarity between monitoring sites can be used to predict catchment-scale groundwater storage and connectivity of different runoff source areas. We used distance-based and correlation-based similarity measures to quantify the spatial and temporal differences in shallow groundwater similarity for 51 monitoring sites in a Swiss prealpine catchment. The 41 months long time series were preprocessed using Dynamic Time-Warping and a Flow-corrected Time Transformation to account for small timing differences and bias toward low-flow periods. The mean distance-based groundwater similarity was correlated to topographic indices, such as upslope contributing area, topographic wetness index, and local slope. Correlation-based similarity was less related to landscape position but instead revealed differences between seasons. Analysis of variance and partial Mantel tests showed that landscape position, represented by the topographic wetness index, explained 52% of the variability in mean distance-based groundwater similarity, while spatial distance, represented by the Euclidean distance, explained only 5%. The variability in distance-based similarity and correlation-based similarity between groundwater and streamflow time series was significantly larger for midslope locations than for other landscape positions. This suggests that groundwater dynamics at these midslope sites, which are important to understand runoff source areas and hydrological connectivity at the catchment scale, are most difficult to predict.

Full Text Available The notion of uncertainty in groundwater hydrology is of great importance as it is known to result in misleading output when neglected or not properly accounted for. In this paper we examine this effect in groundwaterflow models. To achieve this, we first introduce the uncertainties functions u as function of time and space. The function u accounts for the lack of knowledge or variability of the geological formations in which flow occur (aquifer in time and space. We next make use of Riemann-Liouville fractional derivatives that were introduced by Kobelev and Romano in 2000 and its approximation to modify the standard version of groundwaterflow equation. Some properties of the modified Riemann-Liouville fractional derivative approximation are presented. The classical model for groundwaterflow, in the case of density-independent flow in a uniform homogeneous aquifer is reformulated by replacing the classical derivative by the Riemann-Liouville fractional derivatives approximations. The modified equation is solved via the technique of green function and the variational iteration method.

Full Text Available The classical Darcy law is generalized by regarding the water flow as a function of a noninteger order derivative of the piezometric head. This generalized law and the law of conservation of mass are then used to derive a new equation for groundwaterflow. Two methods including Frobenius and Adomian decomposition method are used to obtain an asymptotic analytical solution to the generalized groundwaterflow equation. The solution obtained via Frobenius method is valid in the vicinity of the borehole. This solution is in perfect agreement with the data observed from the pumping test performed by the institute for groundwater study on one of their boreholes settled on the test site of the University of the Free State. The test consisted of the pumping of the borehole at the constant discharge rate Q and monitoring the piezometric head for 350 minutes. Numerical solutions obtained via Adomian method are compared with the Barker generalized radial flow model for which a fractal dimension for the flow is assumed. Proposition for uncertainties in groundwater studies was given.

A landfill in Falmouth, Massachusetts, is upgradient of a pond used for municipal water supply, but analysis of groundwaterflow directions and groundwater quality indicates that leachate from the landfill does not threaten the municipal water supply. A network of water table observation wells was established, and water table altitudes were measured in these wells on several dates in 1981. Water quality analyses and specific conductance measurements were made on water samples from several wells in the vicinity of the landfill between October 1980 and April 1983. A water table altitude contour map of the area between the landfill and Long Pond for April 16-17, 1981, indicates that the direction of groundwaterflow is primarily southwest from the landfill to Buzzards Bay. A similar map for September 2, 1981--a time at which the water table was unusually low--indicates the possibility of groundwater discharge to Long Pond from the landfill site. Groundwater quality beneath the landfill exceeded U.S. EPA water quality criteria for domestic water supply for manganese and total dissolved solids. Concentrations as high as 52 mg/L of nitrogen as ammonia and 4,500 micrograms/L (ug/L) of manganese were found. Concentrations of ammonia, manganese, calcium, potassium, and alkalinity exceeded local background levels by more than a factor of 100; specific-conductance levels and concentrations of hardness, barium, chloride, sodium, magnesium, iron, and strontium exceeded local background levels by more than a factor of 10; and cadmium concentrations exceeded local background levels by more than a factor of 5. Water quality analyses and field specific conductance measurements indicate the presence of a volume of leachate extending south-southwest from the landfill. Average chloride concentrations of landfill leachate, precipitation on the surface of Long Pond, and recharge from the remainder of the recharge area were 180, 3, and 9 mg/L, respectively. No significant degradation of

The Diamond Valley flow system consists of six hydraulically connected hydrographic areas in central Nevada. The general down-gradient order of the areas are southern and northern Monitor Valleys, Antelope Valley, Kobeh Valley, Stevens Basin, and Diamond Valley. Groundwaterflow in the Diamond Valley flow system terminates at a large playa in the northern part of Diamond Valley. Concerns relating to continued water-resources development of the flow system resulted in a phased hydrologic investigation that began in 2005 by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with Eureka County. This report presents the culmination of the phased investigation to increase understanding of the groundwater resources of the basin-fill aquifers in the Diamond Valley flow system through evaluations of groundwater chemistry and budgets. Groundwater chemistry was characterized using major ions and stable isotopes from groundwater and precipitation samples. Groundwater budgets accounted for all inflows, outflows, and changes in storage, and were developed for pre-development (pre-1950) and recent (average annual 2011–12) conditions. Major budget components include groundwater discharge by evapotranspiration and groundwater withdrawals; groundwater recharge by precipitation, and interbasin flow; and storage change.

Trace analysis of radionuclides is an essential and versatile tool in modern science and technology. Due to their ideal geophysical and geochemical properties, long-lived noble gas radionuclides, in particular, 39Ar (t1/2 = 269 yr), 81Kr (t1/2 = 2.3x10^5 yr) and 85Kr (t1/2 = 10.8 yr), have long been recognized to have a wide range of important applications in Earth sciences. In recent years, significant progress has been made in the development of practical analytical methods, and has led to applications of these isotopes in the hydrosphere (tracing the flow of groundwater and ocean water). In this article, we introduce the applications of these isotopes and review three leading analytical methods: Low-Level Counting (LLC), Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) and Atom Trap Trace Analysis (ATTA).

Groundwaterflow systems in Alpine areas are often complex and challenging to investigate due to special topographic and climatic conditions governing groundwater recharge and bedrock flow. Studies seeking to characterize high-alpine groundwater systems remain rare, but are of high interest, e.g. for water supply, hydropower systems, traffic tunnels or rock slope deformation and landslide hazards. The goal of this study is to better understand the current and past groundwaterflow systems of the UNESCO World Heritage mountain ridge separating the great Aletsch glacier and the Rhone valley, considering climatic and glacier fluctuations during the Lateglacial and Holocene periods. This ridge is crossed by a hydropower bypass drift (Riederhornstollen) and is composed of fractured crystalline rocks overlain by various types of landslides and glacial deposits. Surface hydrology observations (fracture properties, groundwater seepage, spring lines and physico-chemical parameters) and hydropower drift inflow measurements contributed to the characterization of bedrock hydraulic conductivities and preferential groundwater pathways. Basic conceptual hydrogeological models were tested with observed drift inflows and the occurrence of springs using free-surface, variably saturated, vertical 2D groundwaterflow models (using the code SEEP/W from GeoStudio 2007). Already simple two-layer models, representing profile sections orthogonal to the mountain ridge, provided useful results. Simulations show that differences in the occurrence of springs on each side of the mountain ridge are likely caused by the occurrence of glacial till (generating perched groundwater), the deep-seated sagging landslide mass, faults and asymmetric ridge topography, which together force the main groundwaterflow direction to be oriented towards the Rhone valley, even from beyond the mountain ridge. Surprisingly, the most important springs (those with high discharge rates) are located at high elevations

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — This digital data set defines the flow-system boundary encompassing the regional ground-waterflow model by D'Agnese and others (1997). The boundary encompasses an...

Laser Doppler spectroscopy has been evaluated for the measurement of cerebral blood flow (CBF) by correlation with simultaneous measurements by radionuclide labelled microspheres. The experimental procedures were carried out on five anaesthetised rabbits. The cortical tissue was exposed by means of a small burr hole and illuminated by a helium neon laser (632.8 nm). Reflected light was detected using a silicon photodiode, and CBF was calculated continuously from the power of the frequency weighted Doppler spectrum in the reflected light. Three successive measurements of CBF were made using the microsphere technique. Following an initial baseline measurement, CBF was increased by an infusion of metaraminol and then reduced by controlled haemorrhage. Laser Doppler spectroscopy provided continuous monitoring of blood flow fluctuations and during the haemorrhage it was possible to demonstrate CBF autoregulation until the mean blood pressure fell below 6.7 kPa (50 mmHg). A regression analysis was performed between the simultaneous CBF measurements from the two techniques using a least squares best fit straight line analysis (r = 0.92, P less than 0.001). It was concluded that the flow computed from laser Doppler spectroscopy varied linearly with CBF and offers the unique advantage of continuous and instantaneous measurements even during nonsteady state flow.

The Tono Geoscience center has been continuing water balance observation since fiscal 1998, and examining groundwater recharge into the basement rock. This report analyzes water balance at seven catchments in the regional hydrogeological study project field, and the applicability of area precipitation, an important item of water balance analysis, is examined. The result of the examination is shown below. Values of groundwater recharge in the small-scale catchments, such as upstream and downstream of the Shobagawa, are influence by the local groundwaterflow system. But, those in the Shobagawa catchment are influenced by the larger groundwaterflow system. The plane distribution of groundwater recharge matches the result of the distribution of groundwaterflow analysis. (author)

Groundwater is an important resource to agriculture throughout the semi-arid United States, where farmers often supplement surface water diversions with groundwater pumping. Understanding the complex exchange over space and time between rivers and aquifers is important in developing management alternatives that are capable of preserving stream flow for habitat and increasing water deliveries downstream while minimizing lost crop production. Previous integrated hydrologic-economic models have generally assumed superposition of the impacts of groundwater pumping on the hydrologic system for analytical tractability. Although this assumption may be reasonable for some surface water-groundwater systems, in many systems the behavior diverges considerably from the linear assumption. We present analyses using an integrated hydrologic-economic model of surface water-groundwater interaction with nonlinear dynamics, developed for the Mason Valley area in Nevada. The study area has active water conflict between upstream and downstream water users, where groundwater pumping has an important impact on streamflow. The model replicates the movement of water throughout the coupled river and aquifer of the Walker River system and is used to analyze hypothetical tradeoffs between increasing streamflow at the basin outlet and meeting crop water demands for irrigation. The model is run from 1997 to 2006 to capture wet and dry climatic conditions, including a four year drought period in which groundwater pumping accounts for more than 50% of the irrigated water budget. Three alternate groundwater management policies are analyzed to compare economic performance (resulting from reductions in crop area due to reduced groundwater pumping) and hydrologic impact (in terms of increased stream discharge at the basin outlet). First, uniform pumping quotas are the simplest policy to implement and are modeled here as equal reductions in groundwater pumping for each stakeholder at a lumped field

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — Baseflow is the portion of streamflow derived from groundwaterflow. It is an important component of the groundwater budget, and can be estimated using known total...

Results from a regional-scale ground-waterflow model of the Fennoscandian shield suggest that ground-waterflow is strongly affected by surface conditions associated with climatic change and glaciation. The model was used to run a series of numerical simulations of variable-density ground-waterflow in a 1500-km-long and approximately 10-km-deep cross-section that passes through southern Sweden. Ground-waterflow and shield brine transport in the cross-sectional model are controlled by an assumed time evolution of surface conditions over the next 140 ka. The simulation results suggest that vertical movement of deep shield brines induced by the next few glacial cycles should not increase the concentration of dissolved solids significantly above present-day levels. However, the concentration of dissolved solids should decrease significantly at depths of up to several kilometers during periods of glacial melt water recharge. The melt water may reside in the subsurface for periods exceeding 10 ka and may bring oxygenated conditions to an otherwise reducing chemical environment 33 refs, 32 figs, 4 tabs

Vertical flow systems filled with porous medium have been shown to efficiently remove volatile organic contaminants (VOCs) from contaminated groundwater. To apply this semi-natural remediation strategy it is however necessary to distinguish between removal due to biodegradation and due to volatile l

The retention of phosphorus in surface waters though co-precipitation of phosphate with Fe-oxyhydroxides during exfiltration of anaerobic Fe(II) rich groundwater is not well understood. We developed an experimental field set-up to study Fe(II) oxidation and 5 P immobilization along the flow-path fro

The retention of phosphorus in surface waters though co-precipitation of phosphate with Fe-oxyhydroxides during exfiltration of anaerobic Fe(II) rich groundwater is not well understood. We developed an experimental field set-up to study Fe(II) oxidation and P immobilization along the flow-path from

Vertical flow systems filled with porous medium have been shown to efficiently remove volatile organic contaminants (VOCs) from contaminated groundwater. To apply this semi-natural remediation strategy it is however necessary to distinguish between removal due to biodegradation and due to volatile

The Pocahontas No. 3 coal seam in southern West Virginia has been extensively mined by underground methods since the 1880’s. An extensive network of abandoned mine entries in the Pocahontas No. 3 has since filled with good-quality water, which is pumped from wells or springs discharging from mine portals (adits), and used as a source of water for public supplies. This report presents results of a three-year investigation of the geology, hydrology, geochemistry, and groundwaterflow processes within abandoned underground coal mines used as a source of water for public supply in the Elkhorn area, McDowell County, West Virginia. This study focused on large (> 500 gallon per minute) discharges from the abandoned mines used as public supplies near Elkhorn, West Virginia. Median recharge calculated from base-flow recession of streamflow at Johns Knob Branch and 12 other streamflow gaging stations in McDowell County was 9.1 inches per year. Using drainage area versus mean streamflow relationships from mined and unmined watersheds in McDowell County, the subsurface area along dip of the Pocahontas No. 3 coal-mine aquifer contributing flow to the Turkey Gap mine discharge was determined to be 7.62 square miles (mi2), almost 10 times larger than the 0.81 mi2 surface watershed. Results of this investigation indicate that groundwaterflows down dip beneath surface drainage divides from areas up to six miles east in the adjacent Bluestone River watershed. A conceptual model was developed that consisted of a stacked sequence of perched aquifers, controlled by stress-relief and subsidence fractures, overlying a highly permeable abandoned underground coal-mine aquifer, capable of substantial interbasin transfer of water. Groundwater-flow directions are controlled by the dip of the Pocahontas No. 3 coal seam, the geometry of abandoned mine workings, and location of unmined barriers within that seam, rather than surface topography. Seven boreholes were drilled to intersect

Rice production in Cambodia, essential to food security and exports, is largely limited to the wet season. The vast majority (96%) of land planted with rice during the wet season remains fallow during the dry season. This is in large part due to lack of irrigation capacity, increases in which would entail significant consequences for Cambodia and Vietnam, located downstream on the Mekong River. Here we quantify the extent of the dry season "deficit" area in the Cambodian Mekong River catchment, using a recent agricultural survey and our analysis of MODIS satellite data. Irrigation of this land for rice production would require a volume of water up to 31% of dry season Mekong River flow to Vietnam. However, the two countries share an aquifer system in the Mekong Delta, where irrigation demand is increasingly met by groundwater. We estimate expansion rates of groundwater-irrigated land to be >10% per year in the Cambodian Delta using LANDSAT satellite data and simulate the effects of future expansion on groundwater levels over a 25-year period. If groundwater irrigation continues to expand at current rates, the water table will drop below the lift limit of suction pump wells, used for domestic supply by >1.5 million people, throughout much of the area within 15 years. Extensive groundwater irrigation jeopardizes access for shallow domestic water supply wells, raises the costs of pumping for all groundwater users, and may exacerbate arsenic contamination and land subsidence that are already widespread hazards in the region.

The Little Plover River is a groundwater-fed stream in the sand plains region of central Wisconsin. In this region, sandy sediment deposited during or soon after the last glaciation forms an important unconfined sand and gravel aquifer. This aquifer supplies water for numerous high-capacity irrigation, municipal, and industrial wells that support a thriving agricultural industry. In recent years the addition of many new wells, combined with observed diminished flows in the Little Plover and other nearby rivers, has raised concerns about the impacts of the wells on groundwater levels and on water levels and flows in nearby lakes, streams, and wetlands. Diverse stakeholder groups, including well operators, Growers, environmentalists, local land owners, and regulatory and government officials have sought a better understanding of the local groundwater-surface water system and have a shared desire to balance the water needs of the he liagricultural, industrial, and urban users with the maintenance and protection of groundwater-dependent natural resources. To help address these issues, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources requested that the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey and U.S. Geological Survey cooperatively develop a groundwaterflow model that could be used to demonstrate the relationships among groundwater, surface water, and well withdrawals and also be a tool for testing and evaluating alternative water management strategies for the central sands region. Because of an abundance of previous studies, data availability, local interest, and existing regulatory constraints the model focuses on the Little Plover River watershed, but the modeling methodology developed during this study can apply to much of the larger central sands of Wisconsin. The Little Plover River groundwaterflow model simulates three-dimensional groundwater movement in and around the Little Plover River basin under steady-state and transient conditions. This model

Full Text Available There has been a surge of work on models for coupling surface-water with groundwaterflows which is at its core the Stokes-Darcy problem. The resulting (Stokes-Darcy fluid velocity is important because the flow transports contaminants. The analysis of models including the transport of contaminants has, however, focused on a quasi-static Stokes-Darcy model. Herein we consider the fully evolutionary system including contaminant transport and analyze its quasi-static limits.

Modeling and experimental studies demonstrate that ambient groundwater reduces hyporheic exchange, but the implications of this observation for stream N-cycling is not yet clear. Here we utilize a simple process-based model (the Pumping and Streamline Segregation or PASS model) to evaluate N-cycling over two scales of hyporheic exchange (fluvial ripples and riffle-pool sequences), ten ambient groundwater and stream flow scenarios (five gaining and losing conditions and two stream discharges), and three biogeochemical settings (identified based on a principal component analysis of previously published measurements in streams throughout the United States). Model-data comparisons indicate that our model provides realistic estimates for direct denitrification of stream nitrate, but overpredicts nitrification and coupled nitrification-denitrification. Riffle-pool sequences are responsible for most of the N-processing, despite the fact that fluvial ripples generate 3-11 times more hyporheic exchange flux. Across all scenarios, hyporheic exchange flux and the Damköhler Number emerge as primary controls on stream N-cycling; the former regulates trafficking of nutrients and oxygen across the sediment-water interface, while the latter quantifies the relative rates of organic carbon mineralization and advective transport in streambed sediments. Vertical groundwater flux modulates both of these master variables in ways that tend to diminish stream N-cycling. Thus, anthropogenic perturbations of ambient groundwaterflows (e.g., by urbanization, agricultural activities, groundwater mining, and/or climate change) may compromise some of the key ecosystem services provided by streams.

... page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003832.htm Radionuclide cystogram To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. A radionuclide cystogram is a special imaging test called a nuclear ...

Ground water is the primary source of water in the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base area. The aquifer consists of glacial sands and gravels that fill a buried bedrock-valley system. Consolidated rocks in the area consist of poorly permeable Ordovician shale of the Richmondian stage, in the upland areas, the Brassfield Limestone of Silurian age. The valleys are filled with glacial sediments of Wisconsinan age consisting of clay-rich tills and coarse-grained outwash deposits. Estimates of hydraulic conductivity of the shales based on results of displacement/recovery tests range from 0.0016 to 12 feet per day; estimates for the glacial sediments range from less than 1 foot per day to more than 1,000 feet per day. Ground water flow from the uplands towards the valleys and the major rivers in the region, the Great Miami and the Mad Rivers. Hydraulic-head data indicate that ground water flows between the bedrock and unconsolidated deposits. Data from a gain/loss study of the Mad River System and hydrographs from nearby wells reveal that the reach of the river next to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is a ground-water discharge area. A steady-state, three-dimensional ground-water-flow model was developed to simulate ground-waterflow in the region. The model contains three layers and encompasses about 100 square miles centered on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Ground water enters the modeled area primarily by river leakage and underflow at the model boundary. Ground water exits the modeled area primarily by flow through the valleys at the model boundaries and through production wells. A model sensitivity analysis involving systematic changes in values of hydrologic parameters in the model indicates that the model is most sensitive to decreases in riverbed conductance and vertical conductance between the upper two layers. The analysis also indicates that the contribution of water to the buried-valley aquifer from the bedrock that forms the valley walls is about 2 to 4

This work examines variable density flow and corresponding solute transport in groundwater systems. Fluid dynamics of salty solutions with significant density variations are of increasing interest in many problems of subsurface hydrology. The mathematical model comprises a set of non-linear, coupled, partial differential equations to be solved for pressure/hydraulic head and mass fraction/concentration of the solute component. The governing equations and underlying assumptions are developed and discussed. The equation of solute mass conservation is formulated in terms of mass fraction and mass concentration. Different levels of the approximation of density variations in the mass balance equations are used for convection problems (e.g. the Boussinesq approximation and its extension, fully density approximation). The impact of these simplifications is studied by use of numerical modelling. Numerical models for nonlinear problems, such as density-driven convection, must be carefully verified in a particular series of tests. Standard benchmarks for proving variable density flow models are the Henry, Elder, and salt dome (HYDROCOIN level 1 case 5) problems. We studied these benchmarks using two finite element simulators - ROCKFLOW, which was developed at the Institute of Fluid Mechanics and Computer Applications in Civil Engineering and FEFLOW, which was developed at the Institute for Water Resources Planning and Systems Research Ltd. Although both simulators are based on the Galerkin finite element method, they differ in many approximation details such as temporal discretization (Crank-Nicolson vs predictor-corrector schemes), spatial discretization (triangular and quadrilateral elements), finite element basis functions (linear, bilinear, biquadratic), iteration schemes (Newton, Picard) and solvers (direct, iterative). The numerical analysis illustrates discretization effects and defects arising from the different levels of the density of approximation. We contribute

A passive sampling system for use with rhodamine WT (RWT) in groundwater tracing experiments was developed to assist in the characterisation of groundwaterflow paths. Amberlite XAD-7 resin was found to be suitable for adsorption of RWT, which can then be extracted using an ethanol/water mix and analysed fluorometrically. Batch and column experiments showed that XAD-7 resin has a high RWT capacity. The adsorption was slightly dependent on pH, but was always above 75% under batch conditions. The resin had a high percentage mass recovery at flow velocities around 1.5 m/day, but this decreased with increasing flow velocities. Desorption of RWT off the resin in water is dependent on the flow velocity of water and the time after the peak RWT has passed. The mass of RWT extracted from the resin bags correlated very well with both the RWT mass flux in the water and the peak concentrations observed in the monitoring wells in a field experiment. The results of resin bags were reproducible in the field with a mean coefficient of variation equal to 16%. This method has been successfully applied to two field situations with different flow velocities to indicate groundwaterflow paths.

Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) has become a fast growing city in recent decades and is still growing at a high pace. The water demand for more than 7 million people has increased tremendously, too. Beside surface water, groundwater is used in big amounts to satisfy the need of water. By now, more than 200,000 wells have been developed with very little control. To investigate the sustainability of the water abstraction, a model had been built for the HCMC area and its surrounding. On the catchment scale (around 24,000km2); however, many questions have remained unsolved. In this study, we first gathered and complied geological and hydrogeological information as well as data on groundwater quality to get an idea on regional groundwaterflow pattern and problems related to the temporal change of the groundwater situation. Two problems have been depicted by this study. One is the construction of a water reservoir upstream of the Saigon River. This construction has probably changed the water table of the unconfined aquifer, and hence, has significantly changed the properties of soils in some areas. The other problem is the distribution of salty groundwater. Despite the distance of more than 40km from the seashore, groundwater from some wells in and around HCMC shows high concentrations of chloride. Several wells started to produce non-potable water. The chloride concentrations show a complicated and patchy distribution below HCMC, suggesting the possibility of the remnant saltwater at the time of sediment deposition. On the other hand, seawater invades along the streams far beyond HCMC during the dry season and this might be one of the possible sources of salty groundwater by vertical infiltration. A large-scale geological model was constructed and transformed into a hydrogeological model to better understand and quantify the groundwaterflow system and the origin of saltwater. Based on the constructed model and numerical calculation, we discuss the influence of reservoir

Groundwaterflow through fractured felsic tuffs and lavas at the Nevada National Security Site represents the most likely mechanism for transport of radionuclides away from underground nuclear tests at Pahute Mesa. To help evaluate fracture flow and matrix–water exchange, we have determined U-series isotopic compositions on more than 40 drill core samples from 5 boreholes that represent discrete fracture surfaces, breccia zones, and interiors of unfractured core. The U-series approach relies on the disruption of radioactive secular equilibrium between isotopes in the uranium-series decay chain due to preferential mobilization of 234U relative to 238U, and U relative to Th. Samples from discrete fractures were obtained by milling fracture surfaces containing thin secondary mineral coatings of clays, silica, Fe–Mn oxyhydroxides, and zeolite. Intact core interiors and breccia fragments were sampled in bulk. In addition, profiles of rock matrix extending 15 to 44 mm away from several fractures that show evidence of recent flow were analyzed to investigate the extent of fracture/matrix water exchange. Samples of rock matrix have 234U/238U and 230Th/238U activity ratios (AR) closest to radioactive secular equilibrium indicating only small amounts of groundwater penetrated unfractured matrix. Greater U mobility was observed in welded-tuff matrix with elevated porosity and in zeolitized bedded tuff. Samples of brecciated core were also in secular equilibrium implying a lack of long-range hydraulic connectivity in these cases. Samples of discrete fracture surfaces typically, but not always, were in radioactive disequilibrium. Many fractures had isotopic compositions plotting near the 230Th-234U 1:1 line indicating a steady-state balance between U input and removal along with radioactive decay. Numerical simulations of U-series isotope evolution indicate that 0.5 to 1 million years are required to reach steady-state compositions. Once attained, disequilibrium 234U/238U

Water resources in Azraq basin at the northeastern part of Jordan are at critical juncture, due to the continual and excessive abstraction of groundwater accompanied with small amounts of groundwater recharge by precipitation, and high rates of evaporation losses over the entire basin. Groundwater recharge from precipitation over the basin was estimated using soil water balance. It was found that only about 2% to 3 % of annual average rainfall infiltrates ground surface to reach the shallow aquifer. The three dimensional finite difference groundwaterflow model MODFLOW (Processing Modflow Pro, version7) was utilized in order to simulate groundwaterflow in the basin. Steady state was calibrated using hydraulic conductivity and flows. The calibrated hydraulic conductivity ranged between 0.1 m/day to 7.0 m/day, the system water balance for the steady state showed that spring discharge from the basin was about 15.0 MCM/yr, groundwater recharge by precipitation was about 9.5 MCM/yr, and the trans-boundaries inflow was 5.5 MCM/yr. Transient state was also calibrated using the specific yield ranged between 0.02 to 0.4. Water balance for the year 2002 showed that there are about 40 MCM/yr as water deficit and a maximum drawdown of about 22 m occur in the well field area. Groundwater recharge at five earth dams have been simulated starting from 1995, it was shown that water deficit that occur in 2002 will decreases by about 15 MCM/yr, drawdown has been slightly affected by these recharge dams. This was attributed to the high abstraction rate at the well field area; the second reason is that the locations of these earth dams are far from the well field area. The calibrated model was used to predict the aquifer future subjected to different scenarios, four scenarios were tested to verify the model ability to be a prediction tool. These scenarios showed that continuing with the current abstraction rate which is 57 MCM/yr until year 2025 will lead to an increase of the

Onslow County, North Carolina, is located within the designated Central Coastal Plain Capacity Use Area (CCPCUA). The CCPCUA was designated by law as a result of groundwater level declines of as much as 200 feet during the past four decades within aquifers in rocks of Cretaceous age in the central Coastal Plain of North Carolina and a depletion of water in storage from increased groundwater withdrawals in the area. The declines and depletion of water in storage within the Cretaceous aquifers increase the potential for saltwater migration—both lateral encroachment and upward leakage of brackish water. Within the CCPCUA, a reduction in groundwater withdrawals over a period of 16 years from 2003 to 2018 is mandated. Under the CCPCUA rules, withdrawals in excess of 100,000 gallons per day from any of the Cretaceous aquifer well systems are subject to water-use reductions of as much as 75 percent. To assess the effects of the CCPCUA rules and to assist with groundwater-management decisions, a numerical model was developed to simulate the groundwaterflow and chloride concentrations in the surficial Castle Hayne, Beaufort, Peedee, and Black Creek aquifers in the Onslow County area. The model was used to (1) simulate groundwaterflow from 1900 to 2010; (2) assess chloride movement throughout the aquifer system; and (3) create hypothetical scenarios of future groundwater development. After calibration of a groundwaterflow model and conversion to a variable-density model, five scenarios were created to simulate future groundwater conditions in the Onslow County area: (1) full implementation of the CCPCUA rules with three phases of withdrawal reductions simulated through 2028; (2) implementation of only phase 1 withdrawal reductions of the CCPCUA rules and simulated through 2028; (3) implementation of only phases 1 and 2 withdrawal reductions of the CCPCUA rules and simulated through 2028; (4) full implementation of the CCPCUA rules with the addition of withdrawals from

End-member mixing (EMM) is a simple modeling approach that is used to estimate the mixing proportions of different waters contributing to sampled sites. This approach has advantages for karst aquifers and groundwater in caves because no assumptions need to be made regarding the presence, locations, or dimensions of conduits. Principal component analysis (PCA) applied to hydrochemical data is useful for assessing hydrochemical data to be used in EMM and for determining appropriate constraints on the EMM model. The combination of these two methods has been used to a limited extent to characterize groundwaterflow and has excellent potential for further development and application, but aspects of this approach are unresolved. Previous similar approaches typically have assumed that the extreme-value samples identified by PCA represent end members. The approach we present is different from previous work in that (1) end members were not assumed to have been sampled but rather were estimated and constrained by prior knowledge; (2) end-member mixing was quantified in relation to hydrogeologic domains, which focuses model results on major hydrologic processes; (3) a method to select an appropriate number of end members using a series of cluster analyses is presented; and (4) conservative tracers were weighted preferentially in model calibration, which distributed model errors of optimized values, or residuals, more appropriately than otherwise would be the case. The latter item also provides an estimate of the relative influence of geochemical evolution along flow paths in comparison to mixing. This method was applied to groundwater in Wind Cave and an associated karst aquifer in the Black Hills of South Dakota, USA. The EMM model was used to test a hypothesis that five different end-member waters are mixed in the groundwater system comprising five hydrogeologic domains. The model estimated that Wind Cave received most of its groundwater inflow from local surface recharge

Full Text Available In this paper, we consider adaptive numerical simulation of miscible displacement problems in porous media, which are modeled by single phase flow equations. A vertex-centred finite volume method is employed to discretize the coupled system: the Darcy flow equation and the diffusion-convection concentration equation. The convection term is approximated with a Godunov scheme over the dual finite volume mesh, whereas the diffusion-dispersion term is discretized by piecewise linear conforming finite elements. We introduce two kinds of indicators, both of them of residual type. The first one is related to time discretization and is local with respect to the time discretization: thus, at each time, it provides an appropriate information for the choice of the next time step. The second is related to space discretization and is local with respect to both the time and space variable and the idea is that at each time it is an efficient tool for mesh adaptivity. An error estimation procedure evaluates where additional refinement is needed and grid generation procedures dynamically create or remove fine-grid patches as resolution requirements change. The method was implemented in the software MELODIE, developed by the French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN, Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire. The algorithm is then used to simulate the evolution of radionuclide migration from the waste packages through a heterogeneous disposal, demonstrating its capability to capture complex behavior of the resulting flow.

The report presents the results of a study to provide a quantitative evaluation of the ground-waterflow system at the Julietta and Tibbs-Banta landfills and provide a general description of the ground-water quality beneath and near the two landfills. These objectives provide the information necessary to evaluate the effects of the landfills on ground-water quality. Geologic, hydrologic, and water-quality data were collected in 1985 and 1986 at the Julietta and Tibbs-Banta landfills to fulfill the study objectives. Ground-water models were used to investigate the flow systems and estimate the volume of flow at the landfills. The report includes descriptions of the data collection, geologic and hydrologic descriptions of the two landfills, and brief histories of trash and sludge disposal. Ground-water-flow models are described and estimates of the volume of flow are discussed. A description of the quality-assurance plan used in conjunction with the water-quality data collection and analysis is included. Water-quality data are presented with statistical summaries of ground-water quality related to well depth and position in the flow system.

Water flow across crystalline bedrock is of major interest for deep-seated geothermal energy projects as well as for underground disposal of radioactive waste. In crystalline rocks enhanced fluid flow is related to zones of increased permeability, i.e. to fractures that are associated to fault zones. The flow regime around the Grimsel Test Site (GTS, Central Aar massif) was assessed by establishing a 3D fault zone pattern on a local scale in the GTS underground facility (deca-meter scale) and on a regional scale at the surface (km-scale). The study reveals the existence of a dense fault zone network consisting of several km long and few tens of cm to meter wide, sub-vertically oriented major faults that are connected by tens to hundreds of meters long minor bridging faults. This geometrical information was used as input for the generation of a 3D fault zone network model. The faults originate from ductile shear zones that were reactivated as brittle faults under retrograde conditions during exhumation. Embrittlement and associated dilatancy along the faults provide the pathways for today's groundwaterflow. Detection of the actual 3D flow paths is, however, challenging since flow seem to be not planar but rather tube-like. Two strategies are applied to constrain the 3D geometry of the flow tubes: (i) Characterization of the groundwater infiltrating into the GTS (location, yield, hydraulic head, and chemical composition) and (ii) stress modelling on the base of the 3D structural model to unravel potential domains of enhanced fluid flow such as fault plane intersections and domains of dilatancy. At the Grimsel Test Site, hydraulic and structural data demonstrate that the groundwaterflow is head-driven from the surface towards the GTS located some 450 m below the surface. The residence time of the groundwater in this surface-near section is >60 years as evidenced by absence of detectable tritium. However, hydraulic heads obtained from interval pressure measurements

In semi-arid headwater catchment, it is usually admitted that stream flow comes predominantly from Hortonian overland flow (infiltration excess overland flow). Consequently, subsurface flow processes, and especially perched or shallow groundwaterflow, have not been studied extensively. Here we made the assumption that perched groundwaterflow could play a significant role in stream flow generation in semi-arid catchment. To test this assumption, we analyzed stream flow time series of a headwater catchment in the Tunisian Cap Bon region and quantified the flow fraction coming from groundwater discharge and that from overland flow. Furthermore, the dynamics of the perched groundwater was analyzed, by focusing on the different perched groundwater-surface interaction processes : diffuse and local infiltration, diffuse exfiltration, and direct groundwater discharge to the stream channel. This work is based on the 2.6 km² Kamech catchment (Tunisia), which belongs to the long term Mediterranean hydrological observatory OMERE (Voltz and Albergel, 2002). Results show that even though Hortonian overland flow was the main hydrological process governing the stream flow generation, groundwater discharge contribution to the stream channel annually accounted for from 10% to 20 % depending on the year. Furthermore, at some periods, rising of groundwater table to the soil surface in bottom land areas provided evidences of the occurrence of saturation excess overland flow processes during some storm events. Reference Voltz , M. and Albergel , J., 2002. OMERE : Observatoire Méditerranéen de l'Environnement Rural et de l'Eau - Impact des actions anthropiques sur les transferts de masse dans les hydrosystèmes méditerranéens ruraux. Proposition d'Observatoire de Recherche en Environnement, Ministère de la Recherche.

Groundwater modelling is widely used as a management tool to understand the behaviour of aquifer systems under different hydrological stresses, whether induced naturally or by humans. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of a subsurface barrier on groundwaterflow in the Palar River basin, Tamil Nadu, southern India. Groundwater is supplied to a nearby nuclear power plant and groundwater also supplies irrigation, industrial and domestic needs. In order to meet the increasing demand for groundwater for the nuclear power station, a subsurface barrier/dam was proposed across Palar River to increase the groundwater heads and to minimise the subsurface discharge of groundwater into the sea. The groundwater model used in this study predicted that groundwater levels would increase by about 0.1-0.3 m extending out a distance of about 1.5-2 km from the upstream side of the barrier, while on the downstream side, the groundwater head would lower by about 0.1-0.2 m. The model also predicted that with the subsurface barrier in place the additional groundwater requirement of approximately 13,600 m3/day (3 million gallons (UK)/day) can be met with minimum decline in regional groundwater head.

Nested groundwaterflow systems have been revealed in Tóth's theory as the structural property of basin-scale groundwater circulation but were only well known with two-dimensional (2D) profile models. The method of searching special streamlines across stagnation points for partitioning flow systems, which has been successfully applied in the 2D models, has never been implemented for three-dimensional (3D) Tóthian basins because of the difficulty in solving the dual stream functions. Alternatively, a new method is developed to investigate 3D nested groundwaterflow systems without determination of stagnation points. Connective indices are defined to quantify the connection between individual recharge and discharge zones along streamlines. Groundwater circulation cells (GWCCs) are identified according to the distribution of the connective indices and then grouped into local, intermediate and regional flow systems. This method requires existing solution of the flow velocity vector and is implemented via particle tracking technique. It is applied in a hypothetical 3D Tóthian basin with an analytical solution of the flow field and in a real-world basin with a numerical modeling approach. Different spatial patterns of flow systems compared to 2D profile models are found. The outcrops boundaries of GWCCs on water table may significantly deviate from and are not parallel to the nearby water table divides. Topological network is proposed to represent the linked recharge-discharge zones through closed and open GWCCs. Sensitivity analysis indicates that the development of GWCCs depends on the basin geometry, hydraulic parameters and water table shape.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in partnership with the Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR) and Idaho Water Resource Board (IWRB), will construct a numerical groundwater-flow model of the Treasure Valley and surrounding area. Resource managers will use the model to simulate potential anthropogenic and climatic effects on groundwater for water-supply planning and management. As part of model construction, the hydrogeologic understanding of the aquifer system will be updated with information collected during the last two decades, as well as new data collected for the study.

Groundwater is an important resource for multiple uses in South Africa. Hence, setting limits to its sustainable abstraction while assuring basic human needs is required. Due to prevalent data scarcity related to groundwater replenishment, which is the traditional basis for estimating groundwater availability, the present article presents a novel method for determining allocatable groundwater in quaternary (fourth-order) catchments through information on streamflow. Using established methodologies for assessing baseflow, recession flow, and instream ecological flow requirement, the methodology develops a combined stepwise methodology to determine annual available groundwater storage volume using linear reservoir theory, essentially linking low flows proportionally to upstream groundwater storages. The approach was trialled for twenty-one perennial and relatively undisturbed catchments with long-term and reliable streamflow records. Using the Desktop Reserve Model, instream flow requirements necessary to meet the present ecological state of the streams were determined, and baseflows in excess of these flows were converted into a conservative estimates of allocatable groundwater storages on an annual basis. Results show that groundwater development potential exists in fourteen of the catchments, with upper limits to allocatable groundwater volumes (including present uses) ranging from 0.02 to 3.54 × 106 m3 a-1 (0.10-11.83 mm a-1) per catchment. With a secured availability of these volume 75% of the years, variability between years is assumed to be manageable. A significant (R2 = 0.88) correlation between baseflow index and the drainage time scale for the catchments underscores the physical basis of the methodology and also enables the reduction of the procedure by one step, omitting recession flow analysis. The method serves as an important complementary tool for the assessment of the groundwater part of the Reserve and the Groundwater Resource Directed Measures in

The objectives of this investigation are twofold. The initial goal is to devise and demonstrate a technique for directly incorporating fine-scale lithologic data into heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity fields, for improved groundwaterflow and contaminant transport model accuracy. The ultimate goal is to rigorously simulate past and future tritium migration from the SRS Old Burial Ground towards Fourmile Branch, to better understand the effects of various remediation alternatives such as no action and capping. Large-scale variability in hydraulic conductivity is usually the main influence on field-scale groundwaterflow patterns and dispersive transport, following the relative locations of recharge and discharge areas. Incorporating realistic hydraulic conductivity heterogeneity into flow and transport models is paramount to accurate simulations, particularly for contaminant migration. Sediment lithologic descriptions and geophysical logs typically offer finer spatial resolution, and therefore more potential information about heterogeneity, than other site characterization data.

Borehole temperatures are affected by a range of physical phenomena, including drilling and engineering procedures, thermal resistivity of the rock, surface climatic changes, local heat sources and sinks, free convection of the borehole fluid, and water flows inside the borehole. As a result, temperature logs provide unique information not available from other logs. On the other hand, because the temperature log is sensitive to a variety of phenomena, one or more of these may obscure the effect being studied. In the case where groundwater is entering the borehole at one depth and exiting at another depth (or at the surface) the temperature disturbance resulting from this flow is likely to be a prominent feature of the temperature profile of the borehole. Because of this, water flows in boreholes are often a source of noise in temperature logs, obscuring the features of interest. Recently, however, unusual groundwater behavior was noted in several boreholes at the Nevada Test Site (NTS), and temperature logs were run as part of a program to study this phenomenon. In this case the groundwaterflow has been the feature of interest in the logs, and the logs have been useful as an aid in understanding the water flow in those boreholes.

This report describes a numerical model that simulates regional ground-waterflow in the upper Deschutes Basin of central Oregon. Ground water and surface water are intimately connected in the upper Deschutes Basin and most of the flow of the Deschutes River is supplied by ground water. Because of this connection, ground-water pumping and reduction of artificial recharge by lining leaking irrigation canals can reduce the amount of ground water discharging to streams and, consequently, streamflow. The model described in this report is intended to help water-management agencies and the public evaluate how the regional ground-water system and streamflow will respond to ground-water pumping, canal lining, drought, and other stresses. Ground-waterflow is simulated in the model by the finite-difference method using MODFLOW and MODFLOWP. The finite-difference grid consists of 8 layers, 127 rows, and 87 columns. All major streams and most principal tributaries in the upper Deschutes Basin are included. Ground-water recharge from precipitation was estimated using a daily water-balance approach. Artificial recharge from leaking irrigation canals and on-farm losses was estimated from diversion and delivery records, seepage studies, and crop data. Ground-water pumpage for irrigation and public water supplies, and evapotranspiration are also included in the model. The model was calibrated to mean annual (1993-95) steady-state conditions using parameter-estimation techniques employing nonlinear regression. Fourteen hydraulic-conductivity parameters and two vertical conductance parameters were determined using nonlinear regression. Final parameter values are all within expected ranges. The general shape and slope of the simulated water-table surface and overall hydraulic-head distribution match the geometry determined from field measurements. The fitted standard deviation for hydraulic head is about 76 feet. The general magnitude and distribution of ground-water discharge to

A project to remove groundwater contaminants by an improved treatment process was performed during 1990 October--1992 March by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited for the United States Department of Energy, managed by Argonne National Laboratory. The goal was to generate high-quality effluent while minimizing secondary waste volume. Two effluent target levels, within an order of magnitude, or less than the US Drinking Water Limit, were set to judge the process effectiveness. The program employed mixed waste feeds containing cadmium, uranium, lead, iron, calcium, strontium-85-90, cesium-137, benzene and trichlorethylene in simulated and actual groundwater and soil leachate solutions. A combination of process steps consisting of sequential chemical conditioning, cross-flow microfiltration and dewatering by low temperature-evaporation, or filter pressing were effective for the treatment of mixed waste having diverse physico-chemical properties. A simplified single-stage version of the process was implemented to treat ground and surface waters contaminated with strontium-90 at the Chalk River Laboratories site. Effluent targets and project goals were met successfully.

This report describes the construction, calibration, evaluation, and results of a steady-state numerical groundwaterflow model of the Great Basin carbonate and alluvial aquifer system that was developed as part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Census Initiative to evaluate the nation’s groundwater availability. The study area spans 110,000 square miles across five states. The numerical model uses MODFLOW-2005, and incorporates and tests complex hydrogeologic and hydrologic elements of a conceptual understanding of an interconnected groundwater system throughout the region, including mountains, basins, consolidated rocks, and basin fill. The level of discretization in this model has not been previously available throughout the study area.

Both topography and buoyancy can drive groundwaterflow;however,the interactions between them are still poorly understood.In this paper,the authors conduct numerical simulations of variable-density fluid flow and heat transport to quantify their relative importance.The finite element modeling experiments on a 2-D conceptual model reveal that the pattern of groundwaterflow depends largely upon the relative magnitude of the flow rate due to topography alone and the flow rate due to buoyancy alone.When fluid velocity due to topography is greater than that due to buoyancy at large water table gradients,topography-driven ’forced convection’ overwhelms buoyancy-driven ’free convection’.When flow velocity due to buoyancy is greater than that due to topography at small water table gradients,mixed free and forced convection takes place.In this case,free convection becomes dominant,but topography-driven flow still plays an important role since it pushes the free convection cells to migrate laterally in the downhill direction.Consequently,hydrothermal fluid flow remains changing periodically with time and no steady state can be reached.The presence of a low-permeability layer near the surface helps eliminate the topography effect on the underlying free convection.

The impact of groundwater withdrawal on surface water is a concern of water users and water managers, particularly in the arid western United States. Capture maps are useful tools to spatially assess the impact of groundwater pumping on water sources (e.g., streamflow depletion) and are being used more frequently for conjunctive management of surface water and groundwater. Capture maps have been derived using linear groundwaterflow models and rely on the principle of superposition to demonstrate the effects of pumping in various locations on resources of interest. However, nonlinear models are often necessary to simulate head-dependent boundary conditions and unconfined aquifers. Capture maps developed using nonlinear models with the principle of superposition may over- or underestimate capture magnitude and spatial extent. This paper presents new methods for generating capture difference maps, which assess spatial effects of model nonlinearity on capture fraction sensitivity to pumping rate, and for calculating the bias associated with capture maps. The sensitivity of capture map bias to selected parameters related to model design and conceptualization for the arid western United States is explored. This study finds that the simulation of stream continuity, pumping rates, stream incision, well proximity to capture sources, aquifer hydraulic conductivity, and groundwater evapotranspiration extinction depth substantially affect capture map bias. Capture difference maps demonstrate that regions with large capture fraction differences are indicative of greater potential capture map bias. Understanding both spatial and temporal bias in capture maps derived from nonlinear groundwaterflow models improves their utility and defensibility as conjunctive-use management tools.

Groundwaterflow and radionuclide transport at the Shoal underground nuclear test are characterized using three-dimensional numerical models, based on site-specific hydrologic data. The objective of this modeling is to provide the flow and transport models needed to develop a contaminant boundary defining the extent of radionuclide-contaminated groundwater at the site throughout 1,000 years at a prescribed level of confidence. This boundary will then be used to manage the Project Shoal Area for the protection of the public and the environment.

Mining activities continually change the groundwaterflow and associated pore pressure distributions within the rockmass around the mine openings or the open-pit bench during the operational periods. As the pore pressure distributions may substantially affect the mechanical behaviour or stability of the rockmass, it is important to monitor the variation of pore pressure incurred by mining operation. The pore pressure distributions within the rockmass can be derived using a two- or three-dimensional finite element groundwaterflow model, adopted to simulate the groundwaterflow. While the groundwater inflow at mines has generally been dealt with respect to the working environment, detailed case studies on the distribution of pore water pressure related to the stability analysis of mine openings have been relatively rare in Korea. Recently, however, as the health and safety problems are emerged for sustainable mining practice, these issues are of the major concerns for the mining industries. This study aims to establish a three dimensional groundwaterflow model to estimate the pore pressure distributions in order to employ as an input parameter for numerical codes such as the FLAC 3D. Also, the groundwaterflow simulated can be used for de-watering design at a mine site. The MINEDW code, a groundwaterflow model code specifically developed to simulate the complicated hydro-geologic conditions related to mining, has mainly been used in this study. Based on the data collected from field surveys and literature reviews, a conceptual model was established and sensitivity analysis was performed.

Air sparging(AS) is an emerging method to remove VOCs from saturated soils and groundwater. Air sparging performance highly depends on the air distribution resulting in the aquifer. In order to study gas flow characterization, a two-dimensional experimental chamber was designed and installed. In addition, the method by using acetylene as the tracer to directly image the gas distribution results of AS process has been put forward. Experiments were performed with different injected gas flow rates. The gas flow patterns were found to depend significantly on the injected gas flow rate, and the characterization of gas flow distributions in porous media was very different from the acetylene tracing study. Lower and higher gas flow rates generally yield more irregular in shape and less effective gas distributions.

SummaryPrincipal component analysis (PCA) applied to hydrochemical data has been used with end-member mixing to characterize groundwaterflow to a limited extent, but aspects of this approach are unresolved. Previous similar approaches typically have assumed that the extreme-value samples identified by PCA represent end members. The method presented herein is different from previous work in that (1) end members were not assumed to have been sampled but rather were estimated and constrained by prior knowledge; (2) end-member mixing was quantified in relation to hydrogeologic domains, which focuses model results on major hydrologic processes; (3) a method to select an appropriate number of end members using a series of cluster analyses is presented; and (4) conservative tracers were weighted preferentially in model calibration, which distributed model errors of optimized values, or residuals, more appropriately than would otherwise be the case. The latter item also provides an estimate of the relative influence of geochemical evolution along flow paths in comparison to mixing. This method was applied to groundwater in Wind Cave and the associated karst aquifer in the Black Hills of South Dakota, USA. The end-member mixing model was used to test a hypothesis that five different end-member waters are mixed in the groundwater system comprising five hydrogeologic domains. The model estimated that Wind Cave received most of its groundwater inflow from local surface recharge with an additional 33% from an upgradient aquifer. Artesian springs in the vicinity of Wind Cave primarily received water from regional groundwaterflow.

Existing groundwater monitoring data from an estuarine sandy aquifer situated below an old industrial landfill (Scotland) showed that (1) leaching from sulphurous waste located in the landfill has generated an acidic plume; (2) associated with the low pH, metal contaminants within the acidic plume are slowly migrating towards the estuary; and (3) the groundwater fluctuations are influenced by the tidal oscillations of the estuary. In order to test the possible influence of rainfall/precipitation, tidal fluctuation and salt water intrusion on the groundwaterflow and reactive chemical transport, a model for multi-component reactive transport with density dependent flow was developed and applied to the site. The groundwaterflow and chemical transport in this coastal aquifer were simulated. Both the field observations and numerical simulations showed that the tidal influence on the groundwater table fluctuations was great even far inland. This influence could not be explained by standard analytical solutions. It is expected that the local morphology and hydro-geological conditions cause this behaviour. The simulation performed with a conservative tracer showed that it took much less time to reach the estuary than the acidic plume originating from the landfill, with the rate of movement influenced by recharge and tidal oscillations. Due to buffering reactions occurring in the geochemical system during the migration of the contaminants (ion exchange, mineral precipitation/dissolution and oxidation/reduction), the movement of the acidic plume and associated metals is strongly retarded. Sharp differences are apparent in chemical concentrations, pH and pe, between the plume location and unaffected areas.

The U.S. Geological Survey, National Water-Quality Assessment seeks to map estimated intrinsic susceptibility of the glacial aquifer system of the conterminous United States. Improved understanding of the hydrogeologic characteristics that explain spatial patterns of intrinsic susceptibility, commonly inferred from estimates of groundwater age distributions, is sought so that methods used for the estimation process are properly equipped. An important step beyond identifying relevant hydrogeologic datasets, such as glacial geology maps, is to evaluate how incorporation of these resources into process-based models using differing levels of detail could affect resulting simulations of groundwater age distributions and, thus, estimates of intrinsic susceptibility.This report describes the construction and calibration of three groundwater-flow models of northeastern Wisconsin that were developed with differing levels of complexity to provide a framework for subsequent evaluations of the effects of process-based model complexity on estimations of groundwater age distributions for withdrawal wells and streams. Preliminary assessments, which focused on the effects of model complexity on simulated water levels and base flows in the glacial aquifer system, illustrate that simulation of vertical gradients using multiple model layers improves simulated heads more in low-permeability units than in high-permeability units. Moreover, simulation of heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity fields in coarse-grained and some fine-grained glacial materials produced a larger improvement in simulated water levels in the glacial aquifer system compared with simulation of uniform hydraulic conductivity within zones. The relation between base flows and model complexity was less clear; however, the relation generally seemed to follow a similar pattern as water levels. Although increased model complexity resulted in improved calibrations, future application of the models using simulated particle

Large volumes of sand tailings are produced during the extraction of bitumen from the oil sands of Northeastern Alberta. The long-term groundwater response and subsequent movement of water and solutes within the large permeable sand tailings storage areas is uncertain. At the Southwest Sand Storage (SWSS) Facility, located at Syncrude's Mildred Lake operations near Ft. McMurray, there is concern that salts from the tailings water may discharge to newly placed reclamation material that covers the sand tailings. This saline discharge water could destroy the reclamation soil structure and negatively impact vegetation. The steady-state groundwaterflow and transient movement of salts at the local (bench and slope) and intermediate (pile) scales in the SWSS are investigated. Water levels, seepage and groundwater quality (including TDS) have been measured for over a year along two transects of piezometers installed in the SWSS. The field data have been used to complete traditional hydrogeological interpretations of the site, and to develop a conceptual model of flow and transport. The local and intermediate flow systems and salt transport in the dam are being evaluated with numerical models. The models will allow possible future hydrogeological behaviour of the structure to be tested. Preliminary results show differences in flow systems and salinity distribution that depend on the deposition of the SWSS. This research will facilitate better long-term environmental management of this and similar sites.

Variations of beach morphology in both the cross-shore and alongshore directions, associated with tidal creeks, are common at natural coasts, as observed at a field site on the east coast of Rarotonga, Cook Islands. Field investigations and three-dimensional (3-D) numerical simulations were conducted to study the nearshore groundwaterflow and solute transport in such a system. The results show that the beach morphology, combined with tides, induced a significant alongshore flow and modified local pore water circulation and salt transport in the intertidal zone substantially. The bathymetry and hydraulic head of the creek enabled further and more rapid landward intrusion of seawater along the creek than in the aquifer, which created alongshore hydraulic gradient and solute concentration gradient to drive pore water flow and salt transport in the alongshore direction within the aquifer. The effects of the creek led to the formation of a saltwater plume in groundwater at an intermediate depth between fresher water zones on a cross-shore transect. The 3-D pore water flow in the nearshore zone was also complicated by the landward hydraulic head condition, resulting in freshwater drainage across the inland section of the creek while seawater infiltrating the seaward section. These results provided new insights into the complexity, intensity, and time scales of mixing among fresh groundwater, recirculating seawater and creek water in three dimensions. The 3-D characteristics of nearshore pore water flow and solute transport have important implications for studies of submarine groundwater discharge and associated chemical input to the coastal sea, and for evaluation of the beach habitat conditions.

Specifications are given which are necessary to develop a three-dimensional numerical model capable of simulating regional mass transport of radionuclides from a deep waste repository. The model to be developed will include all of the significant mass transport processes including flow, chemical, and thermal advection, mechanical dispersion, molecular diffusion, ion exchange reactions, and radioactive decay. The model specifications also include that density and viscosity fluid properties be functions of pressure, temperature, and concentration and take into account fluid and geologic heterogenieties by allowing possible assignment of individual values to every block of the model. The model specifications furthermore include the repository shape, input/output information, boundary conditions, and the need for documentation and a user's manual. Model code validation can be accomplished with the included known analytical or laboratory solutions. It is recommended that an existing finite-difference model (developed by INTERCOMP and INTERA, Inc.) be used as a starting point either as an acceptable basic code for modification or as a pattern for the development of a completely different numerical scheme. A ten-step plan is given to outline the general procedure for development of the code.

The city of Sioux Falls is the fastest growing community in South Dakota. In response to this continued growth and planning for future development, Sioux Falls requires a sustainable supply of municipal water. Planning and managing sustainable groundwater supplies requires a thorough understanding of local groundwater resources. The Big Sioux aquifer consists of glacial outwash sands and gravels and is hydraulically connected to the Big Sioux River, which provided about 90 percent of the city’s source-water production in 2015. Managing sustainable groundwater supplies also requires an understanding of groundwater availability. An effective mechanism to inform water management decisions is the development and utilization of a groundwater-flow model. A groundwater-flow model provides a quantitative framework for synthesizing field information and conceptualizing hydrogeologic processes. These groundwater-flow models can support decision making processes by mapping and characterizing the aquifer. Accordingly, the city of Sioux Falls partnered with the U.S. Geological Survey to construct a groundwater-flow model. Model inputs will include data from advanced geophysical techniques, specifically airborne electromagnetic methods.

From the perspective of Hydrogeology, the concept and an introductory general typology of groundwater are established. From the perspective of Geotechnical Engineering works, the physical and mathematical equations of the hydraulics of permeable materials, which are implemented, by electric analogical simulation, to two unique cases of global importance, are considered: the bailing during the construction of the dry dock of the "new shipyard of the Bahia de Cádiz" and the waterproofing of the "Hatillo dam" in the Dominican Republic. From a physical fundamental perspective, the theories which are the subset of "analogical physical theories of Fourier type transport" are related, among which the one constituted by the laws of Adolf Fick in physiology occupies a historic role of some relevance. And finally, as a philosophical abstraction of so much useful mathematical process, the one which is called "the Galilean principle of the mathematical design of the Nature" is dealt with.

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — These contours represent the simulated potentiometric surface at the end of simulation (1998) in model layer 1 of the Death Valley regional ground-waterflow system...

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — These contours represent the simulated potentiometric surface at the end of simulation (1998) in model layer 16 of the Death Valley regional ground-waterflow system...

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — These contours represent the simulated potentiometric surface at the end of simulation (1998) in model layer 1 of the Death Valley regional ground-waterflow system...

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — These contours represent the simulated potentiometric surface at the end of simulation (1998) in model layer 16 of the Death Valley regional ground-waterflow...

A stochastic model was developed to simulate the flow in heterogeneous media subject to random boundary conditions.Approximate partial differential equations were derived based on the Karhunen-Loeve (KL) expansion and perturbation expansion. The effect of random boundary conditions on the two-dimensional flow was examined. It is shown that the proposed stochastic model is efficient to include the random boundary conditions. The random boundaries lead to the increase of head variance and velocity variance. The influence of the random boundary conditions on head uncertainty is exerted over the whole simulated region, while the randomness of the boundary conditions leads to the increase of the velocity variance in the vicinity of boundaries.

This paper presents a site-specific conceptual model of groundwaterflow in fractured damage zones associated with faulting in a package of sedimentary rocks. The model is based on the results of field and laboratory investigations. Groundwater and methane gas inflows from fault-fracture systems in the West Elk coal mine, Colorado, USA, have occurred with increasing severity. Inflows of 6, 160 and 500 L s-1 discharged almost instantaneously from three separate faults encountered in mine workings about 460 m below ground level. The faults are about 600 m apart. The δ 2H and δ 18O compositions of the fault-related inflow waters and the hydrodynamic responses of each fault inflow indicate that the groundwaters discharge from hydraulically isolated systems. 14C data indicate that the groundwaters are as much as 10,500 years old. Discharge temperatures are geothermal (≈30°C), which could indicate upwelling from depth. However, calculations of geothermal gradients, analysis of solute compositions of groundwater in potential host reservoirs, geothermometer calculations, and results of packer testing indicate that the fractured groundwater reservoir is the Rollins Sandstone (120 m thick) directly beneath the coal seams. The packer test also demonstrates that the methane gas is contained in the coal seams. A geothermal gradient of 70-80°C km-1, related to an underlying intrusion, is probably responsible for the slightly elevated discharge temperatures. Large discharge volumes, as great as 8.2×105 m3 from the 14 South East Headgate fault (14 SEHG), rapid declines in discharge rates, and vertical and horizontal permeability (matrix permeability generally <0.006 Darcy) indicate fracture flow. An in-mine pumping test demonstrates that the 14 SEHG fault has excellent hydraulic communication with fractures 50 m from the fault. Aeromagnetic data indicate that the faults are tectonically related to an igneous body that is several thousand meters below the coal seams

The interaction between rivers and aquifers affects the quality and the quantity of surface and subsurface water since it plays a crucial role for solute transport, nutrient cycling and microbial transformations. The groundwater-surface water interface, better known as hyporheic zone, has a functional significance for the biogeochemical and ecological conditions of the fluvial ecosystem since it controls the flux of groundwater solutes discharging into rivers, and vice versa. The hyporheic processes are affected by the complex surrounding aquifer because the groundwaterflow system obstructs the penetration of stream water into the sediments. The impact of large-scale stream-aquifer interactions on small scale exchange has generally been analyzed at local scales of a river reach, or even smaller. However, a complete comprehension of how hyporheic fluxes are affected by the groundwater system at watershed scale is still missing. Evaluating this influence is fundamental to predict the consequences of hyporheic exchange on water quality and stream ecology. In order to better understand the actual structure of hyporheic exchange along the river network, we firstly examine the role of basin topography complexity in controlling river-aquifer interactions. To reach this target, we focus on the analysis of surface-subsurface water exchange at the watershed scale, taking into account the river-aquifer interactions induced by landscape topography. By way of a mathematical model, we aim to improve the estimation of the role of large scale hydraulic gradients on hyporheic exchange. The potential of the method is demonstrated by the analysis of a benchmark case's study, which shows how the topographic conformation influences the stream-aquifer interaction and induces a substantial spatial variability of the groundwater discharge even among adjacent reaches along the stream. The vertical exchange velocity along the river evidences a lack of autocorrelation. Both the groundwater

Within the framework of the GAP project, this second phase of geosphere modelling has enabled the development of an improved regional model that has led to a better representation of groundwaterflow conditions likely to occur under ice sheet conditions. New data in relation to talik geometry and elevation, as well as to deformation zones were integrated in the geosphere model. In addition, more realistic hydraulic properties were considered for geosphere modelling; they were taken from the Laxemar site in Sweden. The geological medium with conductive deformation zones was modelled as a 3D continuum with stochastically hydraulic properties. Surface and basal glacial meltwater rates provided by a dynamic ice sheet model were assimilated into the groundwaterflow model using mixed boundary conditions. The groundwaterflow system is considered to be governed by infiltration of glacial meltwater in heterogeneous faulted crystalline rocks in the presence of permafrost and taliks. The characterisation of the permafrost-depth distribution was achieved using a coupled description of flow and heat transfer under steady state conditions. Using glaciological concepts and satellite data, an improved stochastic model was developed for the description at regional scale for the subglacial permafrost distribution in correlation with ice velocity and bed elevation data. Finally, the production of glacial meltwater by the ice sheet was traced for the determination of its depth and lateral extent. The major improvements are related to the type and handling of the subglacial boundary conditions. The use of meltwater rates provided by an ice sheet model applied as input to a mixed boundary condition enables to produce a more plausible flow field in the Eastern part of the domain, in comparison to previous modelling results (Jaquet et al. 2010). In addition, the integration of all potential taliks within the modelled domain provides a better characterisation of the likely groundwater

Surface coal mining at the Allende-Piedras Negras aquifer system requires the complete dewatering and removal of the aquifer. The aquifer contains several geologic layers of variable hydraulic conductivity. Backfilling material is composed of a mixture of permeable and impermeable layers and it was initially considered as impermeable. Exploratory drillings, pumping tests and a geophysical survey were performed in the backfilling materials and the surrounding unaltered materials in order to evaluate the natural groundwaterflow modification due to the mining activities. Results of geophysical survey evidenced a saturated water table within the back filling material which was verified by exploratory drilling. Pumping tests showed that unaltered materials have a mean hydraulic conductivity of 34.5 m/day while the backfilling of 5.3 m/day. Although the mining activities reduce the hydraulic conductivity by almost an order of magnitude, it was corroborated the existence of a groundwaterflow through the backfilling materials.

The Assessment of Effectiveness of Geologic Isolation Systems (AEGIS) Program is developing and applying the methodology for assessing the far-field, long-term post-closure safety of deep geologic nuclear waste repositories. AEGIS is being performed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) under contract with the Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation (OWNI) for the Department of Energy (DOE). One task within AEGIS is the development of methodology for analysis of the consequences (water pathway) from loss of repository containment as defined by various release scenarios. Analysis of the long-term, far-field consequences of release scenarios requires the application of numerical codes which simulate the hydrologic systems, model the transport of released radionuclides through the hydrologic systems to the biosphere, and, where applicable, assess the radiological dose to humans. Hydrologic and transport models are available at several levels of complexity or sophistication. Model selection and use are determined by the quantity and quality of input data. Model development under AEGIS and related programs provides three levels of hydrologic models, two levels of transport models, and one level of dose models (with several separate models). This document consists of the description of the FE3DGW (Finite Element, Three-Dimensional Groundwater) Hydrologic model third level (high complexity) three-dimensional, finite element approach (Galerkin formulation) for saturated groundwaterflow.

From 1999 to 2007, the Indian Health Service reported that gross alpha-particle activities and concentrations of uranium exceeded the Maximum Contaminant Levels for public drinking-water supplies in water samples from six private wells and two test wells in a rural residential neighborhood in the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma Jurisdictional Area, in central Oklahoma. Residents in this rural area use groundwater from Quaternary-aged terrace deposits and the Permian-aged Garber-Wellington aquifer for domestic purposes. Uranium and other trace elements, specifically arsenic, chromium, and selenium, occur naturally in rocks composing the Garber-Wellington aquifer and in low concentrations in groundwater throughout its extent. Previous studies have shown that pH values above 8.0 from cation-exchange processes in the aquifer cause selected metals such as arsenic, chromium, selenium, and uranium to desorb (if present) from mineral surfaces and become mobile in water. On the basis of this information, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma, conducted a study in 2011 to describe the occurrence of selected trace elements and radionuclides in groundwater and to determine if pH could be used as a surrogate for laboratory analysis to quickly and inexpensively identify wells that might contain high concentrations of uranium and other trace elements. The pH and specific conductance of groundwater from 59 private wells were measured in the field in an area of about 18 square miles in Lincoln and Pottawatomie Counties. Twenty of the 59 wells also were sampled for dissolved concentrations of major ions, trace elements, gross alpha-particle and gross beta-particle activities, uranium, radium-226, radium-228, and radon-222 gas. Arsenic concentrations exceeded the Maximum Contaminant Level of 10 micrograms per liter in one sample having a concentration of 24.7 micrograms per liter. Selenium concentrations exceeded the Maximum Contaminant Level of 50

Surface water and groundwater are integral components of the hydrologic continuum and the interaction between them affects both their quantity and quality. However, surface water and groundwater are often considered as two separate systems and are analysed independently. This separation is partly due to the different time scales, which apply in surface water and groundwaterflows and partly due to the difficulties in measuring and modelling their interactions (Winter et al., 1998). Coastal areas in particular are a difficult hydrologic environment to represent with a mathematical model due to the large number of contributing hydrologic processes. Accurate prediction of interactions between coastal waters, groundwater and neighbouring wetlands, for example, requires the use of integrated surface water-groundwater models. In the past few decades a large number of mathematical models and field methods have been developed in order to quantify the interaction between groundwater and hydraulically connected surface water bodies. Field studies may provide the best data (Hughes, 1995) but are usually expensive and involve too many parameters. In addition, the interpretation of field measurements and linking with modelling tools often proves to be difficult. In contrast, experimental studies are less expensive and provide controlled data. However, experimental studies of surface water-groundwater interaction are less frequently encountered in the literature than filed studies (e.g. Ebrahimi et al., 2007; Kuan et al., 2012; Sparks et al., 2013). To this end, an experimental model has been constructed at the Hyder Hydraulics Laboratory at Cardiff University to enable measurements to be made of groundwater transport through a sand embankment between a tidal water body such as an estuary and a non-tidal water body such as a wetland. The transport behaviour of a conservative tracer was studied for a constant water level on the wetland side of the embankment, while running a

Full Text Available Within the research project GLOWA Danube, a groundwaterflow model was developed for the Upper Danube basin. This paper reports on a preliminary study to include the alpine part of the catchment in the model. A conceptual model structure was implemented and tested using multi-objective optimisation analysis. The performance of the model and the identifiability of the parameters were studied. A possible over-parameterisation of the model was also tested using principal component analysis.

Full Text Available Model coupling requires a thorough conceptualisation of the coupling strategy, including an exact definition of the individual model domains, the "transboundary" processes and the exchange parameters. It is shown here that in the case of coupling groundwaterflow and hydrological models – in particular on the regional scale – it is very important to find a common definition and scale-appropriate process description of groundwater recharge and baseflow (or "groundwater runoff/discharge" in order to achieve a meaningful representation of the processes that link the unsaturated and saturated zones and the river network. As such, integration by means of coupling established disciplinary models is problematic given that in such models, processes are defined from a purpose-oriented, disciplinary perspective and are therefore not necessarily consistent with definitions of the same process in the model concepts of other disciplines. This article contains a general introduction to the requirements and challenges of model coupling in Integrated Water Resources Management including a definition of the most relevant technical terms, a short description of the commonly used approach of model coupling and finally a detailed consideration of the role of groundwater recharge and baseflow in coupling groundwater models with hydrological models. The conclusions summarize the most relevant problems rather than giving practical solutions. This paper aims to point out that working on a large scale in an integrated context requires rethinking traditional disciplinary workflows and encouraging communication between the different disciplines involved. It is worth noting that the aspects discussed here are mainly viewed from a groundwater perspective, which reflects the author's background.

Environmental tracers ((2)H, (18)O, isotopes of Uranium) and geochemical processes occurring within groundwaters from the Continental Intercalaire (CI) in Southern Tunisia were used to understand the hydrodynamics and the recharge conditions of this aquifer. This study investigates the chemical and isotopic compositions of the CI groundwater. The water types are dominated by Na(+), SO4(2-), Cl(-) throughout most of the basin with a general increase in total dissolved solids from the Saharan Platform margins towards the Chotts region. Large scale groundwaterflow paths are toward the Chotts region. The stable isotopes composition of the analyzed groundwater ranges from -8.8 to -6‰ vs V-SMOW for δ(18)O and from -67 to -40‰ vs V-SMOW for δ(2)H. The relatively enriched stable isotopes contents suggest the contribution of the Dahar sandstones outcrops in the current recharge of the CI aquifer in an arid context. However, the most depleted values in heavy isotopes indicate a paleorecharge of the aquifer under wetter conditions revealing a long residence time of groundwaters. The results from water samples using alpha spectrometry method indicate a range in (238)U concentrations and (234)U/(238)U activity ratios (AR) of 0.044-1.285 μg kg(-1) and 1.2 to 8.84 respectively. The geochemistry of uranium isotopes in groundwater is controlled by many factors, essentially, the influence of water rock interactions, the preferential dissolution of (234)U relative to (238)U due to alpha recoil and the mixing processes between different waters with distinct AR as well as (238)U concentrations.

Model coupling requires a thorough conceptualisation of the coupling strategy, including an exact definition of the individual model domains, the "transboundary" processes and the exchange parameters. It is shown here that in the case of coupling groundwaterflow and hydrological models - in particular on the regional scale - it is very important to find a common definition and scale-appropriate process description of groundwater recharge and baseflow (or "groundwater runoff/discharge") in order to achieve a meaningful representation of the processes that link the unsaturated and saturated zones and the river network. As such, integration by means of coupling established disciplinary models is problematic given that in such models, processes are defined from a purpose-oriented, disciplinary perspective and are therefore not necessarily consistent with definitions of the same process in the model concepts of other disciplines. This article contains a general introduction to the requirements and challenges of model coupling in Integrated Water Resources Management including a definition of the most relevant technical terms, a short description of the commonly used approach of model coupling and finally a detailed consideration of the role of groundwater recharge and baseflow in coupling groundwater models with hydrological models. The conclusions summarize the most relevant problems rather than giving practical solutions. This paper aims to point out that working on a large scale in an integrated context requires rethinking traditional disciplinary workflows and encouraging communication between the different disciplines involved. It is worth noting that the aspects discussed here are mainly viewed from a groundwater perspective, which reflects the author's background.

They are presented the results of a groundwater modeling study on the Coastal Aquifer of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania). Dar es Salaam is one of the fastest-growing coastal cities in Sub-Saharan Africa, with with more than 4 million of inhabitants and a population growth rate of about 8 per cent per year. The city faces periodic water shortages, due to the lack of an adequate water supply network. These two factors have determined, in the last ten years, an increasing demand of groundwater exploitation, carried on by quite a number of private wells, which have been drilled to satisfy human demand. A steady-state three dimensional groundwater model has been set up by the MODFLOW code, and calibrated with the UCODE code for inverse modeling. The aim of the model was to carry out a characterization of groundwaterflow system in the Dar es Salaam Coastal Plain. The inputs applied to the model included net recharge rate, calculated from time series of precipitation data (1961-2012), estimations of average groundwater extraction, and estimations of groundwater recharge, coming from zones, outside the area under study. Parametrization of the hydraulic conductivities was realized referring to the main geological features of the study area, based on available literature data and information. Boundary conditions were assigned based on hydrogeological boundaries. The conceptual model was defined in subsequent steps, which added some hydrogeological features and excluded other ones. Calibration was performed with UCODE 2014, using 76 measures of hydraulic head, taken in 2012 referred to the same season. Data were weighted on the basis of the expected errors. Sensitivity analysis of data was performed during calibration, and permitted to identify which parameters were possible to be estimated, and which data could support parameters estimation. Calibration was evaluated based on statistical index, maps of error distribution and test of independence of residuals. Further model

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — A three-dimensional numerical groundwaterflow model (MODFLOW-USG) was developed for the Wood River Valley (WRV) aquifer system, south-central Idaho, to evaluate...

A regional groundwaterflow model encompassing approximately 100 mi2 surrounding the C, K, L, and P reactor areas has been developed. The reactor flow model is designed to meet the planning objectives outlined in the General Groundwater Strategy for Reactor Area Projects by providing a common framework for analyzing groundwaterflow, contaminant migration and remedial alternatives within the Reactor Projects team of the Environmental Restoration Department. The model provides a quantitative understanding of groundwaterflow on a regional scale within the near surface aquifers and deeper semi-confined to confined aquifers. The model incorporates historical and current field characterization data up through Spring 1999. Model preprocessing is automated so that future updates and modifications can be performed quickly and efficiently. The CKLP regional reactor model can be used to guide characterization, perform scoping analyses of contaminant transport, and serve as a common base for subsequent finer-scale transport and remedial/feasibility models for each reactor area.

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — These data were created as part of a hydrologic study to characterize groundwater budgets and water quality in the Diamond Valley Flow System (DVFS), central Nevada....

The simulation models for groundwaterflowing to horizontal seepage wells proposed by Wang and Zhang (2007) are based on the theory of coupled seepage-pipe flow model which treats the well pipe as a highly permeable medium. However, the limitations of the existing model were found during applications. Specifically, a high-resolution grid is required to depict the complex structure of horizontal seepage wells; the permeability of the screen or wall material of radiating bores is usually neglected; and the irregularly distributed radiating bores cannot be accurately simulated. A modified calculation model of groundwaterflowing to a horizontal seepage well is introduced in this paper. The exchange flow between well pipe and aquifer couples the turbulent flow inside the horizontal seepage well with laminar flow in the aquifer. The modified calculation model can reliably calculate the pumpage of a real horizontal seepage well. The characteristics of radiating bores, including the diameter, the permeability of screen material and irregular distribution of radiating bores, can be accurately depicted using the modified model that simulates the scenario in which several horizontal seepage wells work together.

Most hydrogeophysical methods focus on subsurface structure, water content, and other properties that can be used to infer flow properties, but only the combination of self-potential and resistivity has thus far been used to estimate water flux. Exploiting the inverse relationship between the length of a wire antenna and its electrical resonant frequency, an aqueous electrolyte solution can be injected into a borehole, and the rate at which the leading edge of the plume advances can be determined by measuring the time-rate-of-change of the plume's electrical resonant frequency using a commercial antenna analyzer. Experiments were conducted to calibrate the relationship between the electrical resonant frequency of the electrolyte plume and its physical length in water-saturated porous media. Length-versus-resonant-frequency calibration obtained from measurements on wires housed in buried conduits representing preferential flow paths through a model aquifer exhibit close agreement with theoretical predictions based on theory describing the behavior of wire antennas in air. The advantages of this method for subsurface characterization include that it is 1) deployable by one person, 2) not dependent on inversion methods, 3) effective in a single borehole, and 4) not scale dependent.

Cosmogenic radionuclides are radioactive isotopes which are produced by natural processes and distributed within the Earth system. With a holistic view of the environment the authors show in this book how cosmogenic radionuclides can be used to trace and to reconstruct the history of a large variety of processes. They discuss the way in which cosmogenic radionuclides can assist in the quantification of complex processes in the present-day environment. This book aims to demonstrate to the reader the strength of analytic tools based on cosmogenic radionuclides, their contribution to almost any f

Full Text Available Water flow through the beach body plays an important role in the biological status of the organisms inhabiting the beach sand. For tideless seas, the groundwaterflow in shallow water is governed entirely by the surface wave dynamics on the beach. As waves propagate towards the shore, they become steeper owing to the decreasing water depth and at some depth, the waves lose their stability and start to break. When waves break, their energy is dissipated and the spatial changes of the radiation stress give rise to changes in the mean sea level, known as the set-up. The mean shore pressure gradient due to the wave set-up drives the groundwater circulation within the beach zone. This paper discusses the circulation of groundwater resulting from a nonlinear set-up. The circulation of flow is compared with the classic Longuet-Higgins (1983 solution and the time series of the set-up is considered for a 24 h storm. Water infiltrates into the coastal aquifer on the upper part of the beach near the maximum run-up and exfiltration occurs on the lower part of the beach face near the breaking point.

Changes in the Estonian groundwater regime are anticipated as oil shale deposits are mined. This paper described a dynamic groundwaterflow model used to develop a 3-D groundwater elevation map of the Estonian oil shale mining area. The model was used to provide preliminary estimations of water inflow into the working underground mine areas. The model included 9 closed underground mines, 5 active mine sites, and 2 small open-cast sites. The closed mine sites were filled with water flowing in from the working mine sites. New mines and dewatering programs are planned for the future. A database from observation wells installed within the Keila-Kukruse aquifer was used to extract outputs and determine time steps. The model included 35 pumping stations from the active mine sites. The hydraulic properties for each model layer were defined in 4 model zones. Results of the model showed higher water in-flows from the closed underground sites than earlier predictions had anticipated. 9 refs., 1 tab., 4 figs.

The absence of surface water resources in the driest and largest state of India, Rajasthan, has put pressure on the groundwater resources of the state. The water supply problem is exacerbated by the increasing human population, deforestation, unsustainable land-use and irrigation practices. The problem is even severe during droughts. The monsoon rainfall from June to September is the main source of the groundwater recharge in the region.To be able to exploit this natural resource in a sustainable manner with minimal impact on the environment, there is a need to evaluate the potential of the aquifer in terms of water quantity and replenishment using the tolls of groundwater modeling. A numerical model for regional ground water flow was developed using Processing Modflow for Windows (PMWIN)model for a 120 squre Km watershed in the Wakal River Basin in the Jhadol block, Udaipur District, Rajasthan. The model was calibrated for steady state conditions. Watershed boundary formed the no-flow boundaries and was set around the model except north-east part of the study area, where the boundary had been set as constant head. The modeled area consisted of a 143 columns x 177 rows with one layer which simulated an unconfined aquifer in a hard rock terrain. Hydraulic conductivity of the unconfined aquifer were determined using pump tests conducted in the field and validated from literature of studies in a similar groundwater system. Main input of the model was determined from the 3-months monsoon rainfall. Abstraction rates from open dug wells, and evapotranspiration were applied as output at different cells. A steady-state flow simulation was carried out and calibrated against July 2006 water levels. The calibration was carried out by comparing computed and observed heads at 187 wells. There was a good match between the simulated water level contours with the observed water level contours. This model can be used in the future to run transient simulations for full understanding

Traditional flood irrigation is used since the 16th century in the Crau plain (Southern France) for hay production. To supply this high consuming irrigation practice, water is diverted from the Durance River, originating from the Alps, and the large amount of irrigation return flows constitutes the main recharge of the Crau aquifer, which is in turn largely exploited for domestic, industrial and agricultural water use. A possible reduction of irrigation fluxes due to a need of water saving or to a future land-use change could endanger the groundwater resource. A robust quantification of the groundwater mass balance is thus required to assess a sustainable water management in the region. The high isotopic contrast between these exogenous irrigation waters and local precipitations allows the use of stable isotopes of water as conservative tracers to deduce their contributions to the surface recharge. An extensive groundwater sampling was performed to obtain δ18O and δ2H over the whole aquifer. Based on a new piezometric contour map, combined with a reestimate of the aquifer geometry, the isotopic data are implemented in a geostatistical approach to produce a conceptual equivalent-homogeneous reservoir, in order to apply a simple water and isotope mass balance mixing model. The isotopic composition of the two end-members is assessed, and the quantification of groundwaterflows is then used to calculate the two recharge fluxes. Near to steady-state condition, the set of isotopic data treated by geostatistics leads to a recharge by irrigation of 5.20 ± 0.93 m3 s-1 i.e. 1173 ± 210 mm yr-1, and a natural recharge of 2.26 ± 0.91 m3 s-1 i.e. 132 ± 53 mm yr-1. Thus, 70 ± 9% of the effective surface recharge comes from the irrigation return flow, consistent with the literature (between 67% and 78%). This study constitutes a straightforward and independent approach to assess groundwater surface recharges with uncertainties and will help to constrain a future transient

The Ishiagu area is a water scarce region and has played host to mining activities for more than four decades.Mining-related activities have become a threat to potable water supply in the area.This paper is an attempt to show the extent of this threat and in particular,investigate the regional groundwater occurrence and flow pattern based on GPS,water well and geological data.This basinwide model can be used for further groundwater assessment,pollution control and contaminant management.Groundwater occurs between 2.4 and 9 m in the Lekwesi-Lokpaukwu area; 1.5-3.7 m in the Ndi-Ugbugbor-Ayaragu axis and 1.2-4.6 m in the Ishiagu area.Recharge areas include the Leru-Amaubiri-Lekwesi sandstone hills and the lhetutu-Ugwuajirija mine field.While the ultimate sink of contamiants is the Ivo River system,other discharge axis is the Ishiagu-Ayaragu axis and the Ogwor Ndi-Ugbugbor zone.An unconfined and a confined (＞ 10)circulation groundwater system was inferred,and flow model reveals that a large part of Ishiag-Ayaragu and NdiUgbugbor part of the study area suffer polluted recharge from the Pb/Zn mining area.Groundwater was also subjected to hierarchical cluster analysis and the existence of 3-4 hydrological regimes,which revealed:Unpolluted recharge areas,areas affected by polluted recharge,a deep water and shallow water circulation and mine effluents.

This study reports an assessment of the water budget of the Crau aquifer (Southern France), which is poorly referenced in the literature. Anthropogenically controlled by a traditional irrigation practice, this alluvial type aquifer requires a robust quantification of the groundwater mass balance in order to establish sustainable water management in the region. In view of the high isotopic contrast between exogenous irrigation waters and local precipitations, stable isotopes of water can be used as conservative tracers to deduce their contributions to the surface recharge. Extensive groundwater sampling was performed to obtain δ18O and δ2H over the whole aquifer. Based on a new piezometric contour map, combined with an updated aquifer geometry, the isotopic data were implemented in a geostatistical approach to produce a conceptual equivalent homogeneous reservoir. This makes it possible to implement a parsimonious water and isotope mass-balance mixing model. The isotopic compositions of the two end-members were assessed, and the quantification of groundwaterflows was then used to calculate the two recharge fluxes (natural and irrigation). Nearly at steady-state, the set of isotopic data treated by geostatistics gave a recharge by irrigation of 4.92 ± 0.89 m3 s-1, i.e. 1109 ± 202 mm yr-1, and a natural recharge of 2.19 ± 0.85 m3 s-1, i.e. 128 ± 50 mm yr-1. Thus, 69 ± 9% of the surface recharge is caused by irrigation return flow. This study constitutes a straightforward and independent approach to assess groundwater surface recharges including uncertainties and will help to constrain future transient groundwater models of the Crau aquifer.

The use of diurnal water-table fluctuation methods to calculate evapotranspiration (ET) and groundwaterflow is of increasing interest in ecohydrological studies. Most studies of this type, however, have been located in riparian wetlands of semi-arid regions where groundwater levels are consistently below topographic surface elevations and precipitation events are infrequent. Current methodologies preclude application to a wider variety of wetland systems. In this study, we extended a method for estimating sub-daily ET and groundwaterflow rates from water-level fluctuations to fit highly dynamic, non-riparian wetland scenarios. Modifications included (1) varying the specific yield to account for periodic flooded conditions and (2) relating empirically derived ET to estimated potential ET for days when precipitation events masked the diurnal signal. To demonstrate the utility of this method, we estimated ET and groundwater fluxes over two growing seasons (2006–2007) in 15 wetlands within a ridge-and-swale wetland complex of the Laurentian Great Lakes under flooded and non-flooded conditions. Mean daily ET rates for the sites ranged from 4.0 mm d−1 to 6.6 mm d−1. Shallow groundwater discharge rates resulting from evaporative demand ranged from 2.5 mm d−1 to 4.3 mm d−1. This study helps to expand our understanding of the evapotranspirative demand of plants under various hydrologic and climate conditions. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

A groundwater-flow model was developed to improve understanding of water resources on the Kitsap Peninsula. The Kitsap Peninsula is in the Puget Sound lowland of west-central Washington, is bounded by Puget Sound on the east and by Hood Canal on the west, and covers an area of about 575 square miles. The peninsula encompasses all of Kitsap County, Mason County north of Hood Canal, and part of Pierce County west of Puget Sound. The peninsula is surrounded by saltwater, and the hydrologic setting is similar to that of an island. The study area is underlain by a thick sequence of unconsolidated glacial and interglacial deposits that overlie sedimentary and volcanic bedrock units that crop out in the central part of the study area. Twelve hydrogeologic units consisting of aquifers, confining units, and an underlying bedrock unit form the basis of the groundwater-flow model.Groundwaterflow on the Kitsap Peninsula was simulated using the groundwater-flow model, MODFLOW‑NWT. The finite difference model grid comprises 536 rows, 362 columns, and 14 layers. Each model cell has a horizontal dimension of 500 by 500 feet, and the model contains a total of 1,227,772 active cells. Groundwaterflow was simulated for transient conditions. Transient conditions were simulated for January 1985–December 2012 using annual stress periods for 1985–2004 and monthly stress periods for 2005–2012. During model calibration, variables were adjusted within probable ranges to minimize differences between measured and simulated groundwater levels and stream baseflows. As calibrated to transient conditions, the model has a standard deviation for heads and flows of 47.04 feet and 2.46 cubic feet per second, respectively.Simulated inflow to the model area for the 2005–2012 period from precipitation and secondary recharge was 585,323 acre-feet per year (acre-ft/yr) (93 percent of total simulated inflow ignoring changes in storage), and simulated inflow from stream and lake leakage was 43

In this report the author describes his research in FY 1999 at the Nevada Test Site regarding the movement of radionuclides in groundwater. This work is funded by the US Department of Energy/Nevada Operations Office through their Defense Programs and Environmental Restorations divisions. Significant accomplishments include upgrading a spectrometer used to characterize groundwater colloids, acquisition of a probe to allow in situ measurement of groundwater parameters, and purchase of pumps for use in small-diameter access tubing. He collected water samples from a number of nuclear test sites during the past year. Samples from the chimney horizon at the Camembert site show that only volatile radionuclides are present there, as expected. Groundwater from the cavity region at the Cheshire site shows evidence of fission product leaching or desorption from melt glass or rock surfaces. Colloids present in this water were found to be remarkably stable during storage for many years. The colloid content of groundwater at the Cambric site and at UE-5n was found to be low relative to that in groundwater on Pahute Mesa. This, coupled with the apparent lack of groundwaterflow in the alluvial rock at the Cambric site, suggests that radionuclide movement underground in this area is relatively minimal. He continued the yearly monitoring of the thermally hot cavity fluids at the Almendro site. He concludes this report by listing documents reviewed and presentations and publications generated by the program.

Full Text Available River-water infiltration is of high relevance for hyporheic and riparian groundwater ecology as well as for drinking water supply by river-bank filtration. Heat has become a popular natural tracer to estimate exchange rates between rivers and groundwater. However, quantifying flow patterns and velocities is impeded by spatial and temporal variations of exchange fluxes, insufficient sensors spacing during field investigations, or simplifying assumptions for analysis or modeling such as uniform flow. The objective of this study is to investigate lateral shallow groundwaterflow upon river-water infiltration at the shoreline of the riverbed and in the adjacent riparian zone of the River Thur in northeast Switzerland. Here we have applied distributed temperature sensing (DTS along optical fibers wrapped around tubes to measure high-resolution vertical temperature profiles of the unsaturated zone and shallow riparian groundwater. Diurnal temperature oscillations were tracked in the subsurface and analyzed by means of dynamic harmonic regression to extract amplitudes and phase angles. Subsequent calculations of amplitude attenuation and time shift relative to the river signal show in detail vertical and temporal variations of heat transport in shallow riparian groundwater. In addition, we apply a numerical two-dimensional heat transport model for the unsaturated zone and shallow groundwater to obtain a better understanding of the observed heat transport processes in shallow riparian groundwater and to estimate the groundwaterflow velocity. Our results show that the observed riparian groundwater temperature distribution cannot be described by uniform flow, but rather by horizontal groundwaterflow velocities varying over depth. In addition, heat transfer of diurnal temperature oscillations from the losing river through shallow groundwater is influenced by thermal exchange with the unsaturated zone. Neglecting the influence of the unsaturated zone

Understanding the location and magnitude of groundwater inflows to rivers is important for the protection of riverine ecosystems and the management of connected groundwater and surface water systems. This study utilizes 222Rn activities and Cl concentrations in the Avon River, southeast Australia, to determine the distribution of groundwater inflows and to understand the importance of parafluvial flow on the 222Rn budget. The distribution of 222Rn activities and Cl concentrations implies that the Avon River contains alternating gaining and losing reaches. The location of groundwater inflows changed as a result of major floods in 2011-2013 that caused significant movement of the floodplain sediments. The floodplain of the Avon River comprises unconsolidated coarse-grained sediments with numerous point bars and sediment banks through which significant parafluvial flow is likely. The 222Rn activities in the Avon River, which are locally up to 3690 Bq m-3, result from a combination of groundwater inflows and the input of water from the parafluvial zone that has high 222Rn activities due to 222Rn emanation from the alluvial sediments. If the high 222Rn activities were ascribed solely to groundwater inflows, the calculated net groundwater inflows would exceed the measured increase in streamflow along the river by up to 490 % at low streamflows. Uncertainties in the 222Rn activities of groundwater, the gas transfer coefficient, and the degree of hyporheic exchange cannot explain a discrepancy of this magnitude. The proposed model of parafluvial flow envisages that water enters the alluvial sediments in reaches where the river is losing and subsequently re-enters the river in the gaining reaches with flow paths of tens to hundreds of metres. Parafluvial flow is likely to be important in rivers with coarse-grained alluvial sediments on their floodplains and failure to quantify the input of 222Rn from parafluvial flow will result in overestimating groundwater inflows to

Full appropriation of tributary streamflow during summer, a growing population, and agricultural needs are increasing the demand for groundwater in the Willamette Basin. Greater groundwater use could diminish streamflow and create seasonal and long-term declines in groundwater levels. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) cooperated in a study to develop a conceptual and quantitative understanding of the groundwater-flow system of the Willamette Basin with an emphasis on the Central Willamette subbasin. This final report from the cooperative study describes numerical models of the regional and local groundwater-flow systems and evaluates the effects of pumping on groundwater and surface‑water resources. The models described in this report can be used to evaluate spatial and temporal effects of pumping on groundwater, base flow, and stream capture. The regional model covers about 6,700 square miles of the 12,000-square mile Willamette and Sandy River drainage basins in northwestern Oregon—referred to as the Willamette Basin in this report. The Willamette Basin is a topographic and structural trough that lies between the Coast Range and the Cascade Range and is divided into five sedimentary subbasins underlain and separated by basalts of the Columbia River Basalt Group (Columbia River basalt) that crop out as local uplands. From north to south, these five subbasins are the Portland subbasin, the Tualatin subbasin, the Central Willamette subbasin, the Stayton subbasin, and the Southern Willamette subbasin. Recharge in the Willamette Basin is primarily from precipitation in the uplands of the Cascade Range, Coast Range, and western Cascades areas. Groundwater moves downward and laterally through sedimentary or basalt units until it discharges locally to wells, evapotranspiration, or streams. Mean annual groundwater withdrawal for water years 1995 and 1996 was about 400 cubic feet per second; irrigation withdrawals

The areal concentration distribution of commonmineral constituents and properties of ground water in Wisconsin's shallow aquifer system are described in this report. Maps depicting the water quality and the altitude of the water table are included. The shallow aquifer system in Wisconsin, composed of unconsolidated sand and gravel and shallow bedrock, is the source of most potable ground-water supplies in the State. Most ground water in the shallow aquifer system moves in local flow systems, but it interacts with regional flow systems in some areas.

Volume VI of the documentation for the Phase I Data Analysis Task performed in support of the current Regional Flow Model, Transport Model, and Risk Assessment for the Nevada Test Site Underground Test Area Subproject contains the groundwaterflow model data. Because of the size and complexity of the model area, a considerable quantity of data was collected and analyzed in support of the modeling efforts. The data analysis task was consequently broken into eight subtasks, and descriptions of each subtask's activities are contained in one of the eight volumes that comprise the Phase I Data Analysis Documentation.

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — The Little Plover River groundwaterflow model simulates three-dimensional groundwater movement in and around Wisconsinâs Little Plover River basin under...

Yucca Mountain, Nevada is a potential site for the disposal of high-level nuclear wastes. Groundwater at the site occurs in Tertiary volcanic tuffs and in Quaternary valley fill alluvium at lower elevations in the Amargosa Desert. Groundwater seeps downward to the water table through a thick unsaturated zone (UZ), then flows south and southeasterly from Yucca Mountain toward Fortymile Wash. The wash is a highly ephemeral watercourse that drains Fortymile Canyon and Jackass Flats southward. The wash crosses Highway 95 just west of Lathrop Wells, Nevada. Water table contours in Jackass Flats show that groundwaterflow strongly converges on the axis of Fortymile Wash, indicating that the same structural conditions that cause topographic lows in the area also enhance the southerly flow of groundwater. Groundwater chemistry is being used to evaluate flow conditions at local and regional scales, and to help resolve technical issues concerning UZ and saturated zone (SZ) flow conditions and dilution processes. A number of perched zones have been found beneath Yucca Mt. in five different wells (Patterson et al., 1998). The major element chemistry of perched water is distinct from pore water chemistry in the UZ and more similar to the water chemistry of the SZ. The perched water is more dilute than the UZ pore waters, with generally lower chloride concentrations. The lower chloride concentration suggests that a fraction of the perched water is recharge that moves downward from the surface through fractures, and has less interaction with the host rock than pore waters. However, only 1 of 5 wells yielded perched water with bomb-pulse levels of tritium. Deuterium and O-18 stable isotope chemistry indicates that perched water has an intermediate composition when compared to SZ groundwater. It is isotopically heavier (less negative) than SZ water beneath Yucca Mountain, but lighter than groundwater from wells along Fortymile Wash where significant recharge occurs. The heaviest

Sea/fresh-water boundary caused by density and concentration balance of sea-water and fresh-water is an important item for groundwaterflow evaluation in deep underground near the coast. Also, in order to evaluate groundwater quality, it is important to understand the characteristics of sea/fresh-water boundary, for example boundary shape, salt distribution. In order to establish the evaluation and analytical methods for groundwaterflow with considering sea/fresh-water boundary, we investigated the following items in this study. (1) Literature survey and data collection. (2) Investigation of analytical methods. (3) Planning of further study. (author). 78 refs.

Yucca Mountain is being studied as a potential site for a high-level radioactive waste repository. In cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Geological Survey is evaluating the geologic and hydrologic characteristics of the ground-water system. The study area covers approximately 100,000 square kilometers between lat 35{degrees}N., long 115{degrees}W and lat 38{degrees}N., long 118{degrees}W and encompasses the Death Valley regional ground-waterflow system. Hydrology in the region is a result of both the and climatic conditions and the complex described as dominated by interbasinal flow and may be conceptualized as having two main components: a series of relatively shallow and localized flow paths that are superimposed on deeper regional flow paths. A significant component of the regional ground-waterflow is through a thick Paleozoic carbonate rock sequence. Throughout the regional flow system, ground-waterflow is probably controlled by extensive and prevalent structural features that result from regional faulting and fracturing. Hydrogeologic investigations over a large and hydrogeologically complex area impose severe demands on data management. This study utilized geographic information systems and geoscientific information systems to develop, store, manipulate, and analyze regional hydrogeologic data sets describing various components of the ground-waterflow system.

Calibration of groundwaterflow models for the purpose of evaluating flow and aquifer heterogeneity typically uses observations of hydraulic head in wells and appropriate boundary conditions. Environmental tracers have a wide variety of decay rates and input signals in recharge, resulting in a potentially broad source of additional information to constrain flow rates and heterogeneity. A numerical study was conducted to evaluate the reduction in uncertainty during model calibration using observations of various environmental tracers and combinations of tracers. A synthetic data set was constructed by simulating steady groundwaterflow and transient tracer transport in a high-resolution, 2-D aquifer with heterogeneous permeability and porosity using the PFLOTRAN software code. Data on pressure and tracer concentration were extracted at well locations and then used as observations for automated calibration of a flow and transport model using the pilot point method and the PEST code. Optimization runs were performed to estimate parameter values of permeability at 30 pilot points in the model domain for cases using 42 observations of: 1) pressure, 2) pressure and CFC11 concentrations, 3) pressure and Ar-39 concentrations, and 4) pressure, CFC11, Ar-39, tritium, and He-3 concentrations. Results show significantly lower uncertainty, as indicated by the 95% linear confidence intervals, in permeability values at the pilot points for cases including observations of environmental tracer concentrations. The average linear uncertainty range for permeability at the pilot points using pressure observations alone is 4.6 orders of magnitude, using pressure and CFC11 concentrations is 1.6 orders of magnitude, using pressure and Ar-39 concentrations is 0.9 order of magnitude, and using pressure, CFC11, Ar-39, tritium, and He-3 concentrations is 1.0 order of magnitude. Data on Ar-39 concentrations result in the greatest parameter uncertainty reduction because its half-life of 269

The hydrogeological model developed for the SFR extension project (PSU) consists of 40 geologically modelled deformation zones (DZ) and 8 sub-horizontal structural-hydraulic features, called SBAstructures, not defined in the geological model. However, some of the SBA-structures coincide with what is defined as unresolved possible deformation zones (Unresolved PDZ) in the geological modelling. In addition, the hydrogeological model consists of a stochastic discrete fracture network (DFN) model intended for the less fractured rock mass volumes (fracture domains) between the zones and the SBA-structures, and a stochastic fracture model intended to handle remaining Unresolved PDZs in the geological modelling not modelled as SBA-structures in the hydrogeological modelling. The four structural components of the bedrock in the hydrogeological model, i.e. DZ, SBA, Unresolved PDZ and DFN, are assigned hydraulic properties in the hydrogeological model based on the transmissivities interpreted from single-hole hydraulic tests. The main objective of the present work is to present the characteristics of the hydrogeological model with regard to the needs of the forthcoming safety assessment SR-PSU. In concrete words, simulated data are compared with measured data, i.e. hydraulic heads in boreholes and tunnel inflow to the existing repository (SFR). The calculations suggest that the available data for flow model calibration cannot be used to motivate a substantial adjustment of the initial hydraulic parameterisation (assignment of hydraulic properties) of the hydrogeological model. It is suggested that uncertainties in the hydrogeological model are studied in the safety assessment SR-PSU by means of a large number of calculation cases. These should address hydraulic heterogeneity of deterministic structures (DZ and SBA) and realisations of stochastic fractures/fracture networks (Unresolved PDZ and DFN) within the entire SFR Regional model domain.

A three-dimensional groundwater-flow model was developed for Assateague Island in eastern Maryland and Virginia to simulate both groundwaterflow and solute (salt) transport to evaluate the groundwater system response to sea-level rise. The model was constructed using geologic and spatial information to represent the island geometry, boundaries, and physical properties and was calibrated using an inverse modeling parameter-estimation technique. An initial transient solute-transport simulation was used to establish the freshwater-saltwater boundary for a final calibrated steady-state model of groundwaterflow. This model was developed as part of an ongoing investigation by the U.S. Geological Survey Climate and Land Use Change Research and Development Program to improve capabilities for predicting potential climate-change effects and provide the necessary tools for adaptation and mitigation of potentially adverse impacts.

SummaryMultivariate techniques are useful in hydrogeological studies to reduce the complexity of large-scale data sets, and provide more understandable insight into the system hydrology. In this study, principal component analysis (PCA) has been used as an exploratory method to identify the key parameters that define distinct flow systems in the Selva basin (NE Spain). In this statistical analysis, all the information obtained in hydrogeological studies (that is, hydrochemical and isotopic data, but also potentiometric data) is used. Additionally, cluster analysis, based on PCA results, allows the associations between samples to be identified, and thus, corroborates the occurrence of different groundwater fluxes. PCA and cluster analysis reveal that two main groundwaterflow systems exist in the Selva basin, each with distinct hydrochemical, isotopic, and potentiometric features. Regional groundwater fluxes are associated with high F- contents, and confined aquifer layers; while local fluxes are linked to nitrate polluted unconfined aquifers with a different recharge rates. In agreement with previous hydrogeological studies, these statistical methods stand as valid screening tools to highlight the fingerprint variables that can be used as indicators to facilitate further, more arduous, analytical approaches and a feasible interpretation of the whole data set.

Full Text Available Complex interactions occur in riparian wetlands between groundwater, surface water and climatic conditions. Knowledge of the hydrology of these systems is necessary to understand their functioning and their value and models are a useful and probably essential tool to capture their hydrological complexity. In this study, a 2D-model describing saturated-unsaturated water flow is applied to a transect through a groundwater-fed riparian wetland located along the middle reach of the river Dijle. The transect has high levees close to the river and a depression further into the floodplain. Scaling factors are introduced to describe the variability of soil hydraulic properties along the transect. Preliminary model calculations for one year show a good agreement between model calculations and measurements and demonstrate the capability of the model to capture the internal groundwater dynamics. Seasonal variations in soil moisture are reproduced well by the model thus translating external hydrological boundary conditions to root zone conditions. The model proves to be a promising tool for assessing effects of changes in hydrological boundary conditions on vegetation type distribution and to gain more insight in the highly variable internal flow processes of riparian wetlands. Keywords: riparian wetland,eco-hydrology, upward seepage, floodplain hydrology

The formulae for average velocity of groundwaterflow in a single fracture were derived based on the characteristics of fracture properties and hydraulic methods. The results show that the average velocity is proportional to the square root of the hydraulic gradient. In order to verify the results, a laboratory model was established, and the experimental data were analyzed. Experimental results indicate that the relation between the average velocity and hydraulic gradient is nonlinear, and can be fitted with power functions. And for both the unconfined and confined flows, the value of the exponent of power functions are close to 0.5. Thus the experimental results agree well with those from the theoretical analysis. By comparing the calculated and measured values of the average velocity under the same conditions, the formulae presented herein are more effective than the traditional formula based on Darcy's Law. These results provide the evidences of non-Darcy's flow in single fracture.

Regional behaviour of the groundwaterflow system in the Cochabamba Valley, Bolivia, is evaluated through the interpretation of tritium ( 3H) distributions in groundwater samples from wells and springs. In order to interpret groundwater 3H concentrations in Cochabamba Valley, where no historical record of 3H concentrations in rainfall exists, a reconstructed 3H precipitation record is developed. The record of 3H concentrations in precipitation is fairly extensive in the Amazon Basin and this record was extrapolated to the neighbouring Cochabamba Valley. Tritium concentrations in rainfall have been observed to increase under natural conditions with increasing latitude and with increasing distance from the ocean. By considering these trends, a linear relationship for increasing 3H concentration in precipitation is developed, based on data from the Amazon Basin, that realistically predicts regional 3H distributions from the northeast Brazilian coast to Cuzco, Peru. This 3H precipitation record is then extrapolated to the Cochabamba Valley and, after correction for radiogenic decay, is used to interpret trends in groundwater 3H concentrations within the valley. The groundwaterflow system in one of the principal alluvial fans, which serves as an important groundwater resource for the city, is studied in detail. Tritium concentrations drop from approximately 8-10 tritium units (TU) in the recharge area to concentrations below the detection limit of 0.8 TU further out in the valley. Groundwater velocities of approximately 0.3 to 0.9 m d -1 are estimated from distributions of groundwater 3H concentrations along the alluvial fan with the use of the reconstructed precipitation 3H record. Regional characteristics of the groundwaterflow system are discussed with respect to future development and protection of the groundwater resources.

A landfill-derived contaminant plume with a maximum width of ˜600 m, a length of ˜700 m and a maximum depth of 20 m in an unconfined sand aquifer was delineated by means of a monitoring network that includes standpipe piezometers, multilevel point-samplers and bundle-piezometers. The extent of detectable contamination caused by the landfill, which began operation in 1940 and which became inactive in 1976, was determined from the distributions of chloride, sulfate and electrical conductance in the sand aquifer, all of which have levels in the leachate that are greatly above those in uncontaminated groundwater. The maximum temperature of groundwater in the zone of contamination beneath the landfill is 12°C, which is 4-5°C above background. The thermal plume in the aquifer extends ˜150 m downgradient from the centre of the landfill. A slight transient water-table mound exists beneath the landfill in the late spring and summer in response to snowmelt and heavy rainfall. Beneath the landfill, the zone of leachate contamination extends to the bottom of the aquifer, apparently because of transient downward components of hydraulic gradient caused by the water-table mound and possibly because of the higher density and lower viscosity of the contaminated water. Values of hydraulic conductivity, which show variations due to local heterogeneity, were obtained from slug tests of piezometers, from pumping tests and from laboratory tests. Because of the inherent uncertainty in the aquifer parameter values, the 38-yr. frontal position of the plume calculated using the Darcy equation with the assumption of plug flow can differ from the observed frontal position by many hundreds of metres, although the use of mean parameter values produces a close agreement. The width of the plume is large relative to the width of the landfill and can be accounted for primarily by variable periods of lateral east- and westward flow caused by changes in water-table configuration due to the

In the groundwaterflow modelling part of this work the effective dilution volume in the well scenario was estimated by means of transient simulations of groundwaterflow and transport, which are coupled due to the varying salinity. Both deep, drilled wells and shallow surface wells in the vicinity of the repository were considered. The simulations covered the time period from the present to 1000 years after the present. Conceptually the fractured bedrock consists of planar fracture zones (with a high fracture density and a greater ability to conduct water) and the intact rock (in which the fracture density and the hydraulic conductivity are low). For them the equivalent-continuum model was applied separately. Thus, the fractured bedrock was considered as piecewise homogeneous (except for the depth dependence) and isotropic continuum with representative average characteristics. A generic simulation model for groundwaterflow and solute transport was developed on the basis of geological, hydrogeological and hydrogeochemical data at a coastal area. The simulation model contains all the data necessary for the numerical simulations, i.e. the groundwater table and topography, salinity, the postglacial land uplift and sea level rise, the conceptual geometry of fracture zones, the hydraulic properties of the bedrock as well as the description of the modelling volume. The model comprises an area of about 26 km{sup 2}. It covers an island and the surrounding sea. The finite element code FEFTRA (formerly known as FEFLOW) was used in this work for the numerical solution. The channelling along the flow routes was found to be critical for the resulting in a well. A deep well may extend near the area of the deep flow routes, but in order to get flow routes into a shallow well, it has to be placed in the immediate vicinity of the discharge areas. According to the groundwaterflow analyses the effective dilution volume of the well seems to vary from 30 000 m{sup 3}/a to 460 000 m

Swelling of clay-sulfate rocks is a major threat in tunneling. It is triggered by the transformation of the sulfate mineral anhydrite into gypsum as a result of water inflow in anhydrite-containing layers after tunnel excavation. The present study investigates the hydraulic effects of tunneling on groundwaterflow and analyzes how hydraulic changes caused by excavation lead to water inflow into anhydrite-containing layers in the tunnel area. Numerical groundwater models are used to conduct scenario simulations that allow one to relate hydrogeological conditions to rock swelling. The influence of the topographic setting, the excavation-damaged zone around the tunnel, the sealing effect of the tunnel liner, and the geological configuration are analyzed separately. The analysis is performed for synthetic situations and is complemented by a case study from a tunnel in Switzerland. The results illustrate the importance of geological and hydraulic information when assessing the risk of swelling at an actual site.

Relict rock glaciers are complex hydrogeological systems that might act as relevant groundwater storages; therefore, the discharge behavior of these alpine landforms needs to be better understood. Hydrogeological and geophysical investigations at a relict rock glacier in the Niedere Tauern Range (Austria) reveal a slow and fast flow component that appear to be related to the heterogeneous structure of the aquifer. A numerical groundwaterflow model was used to indicate the influence of important internal structures such as layering, preferential flow paths and aquifer-base topography. Discharge dynamics can be reproduced reasonably by both introducing layers of strongly different hydraulic conductivities or by a network of highly conductive channels within a low-conductivity zone. Moreover, the topography of the aquifer base influences the discharge dynamics, which can be observed particularly in simply structured aquifers. Hydraulic conductivity differences of three orders of magnitude are required to account for the observed discharge behavior: a highly conductive layer and/or channel network controlling the fast and flashy spring responses to recharge events, as opposed to less conductive sediment accumulations sustaining the long-term base flow. The results show that the hydraulic behavior of this relict rock glacier and likely that of others can be adequately represented by two aquifer components. However, the attempt to characterize the two components by inverse modeling results in ambiguity of internal structures when solely discharge data are available.

Relict rock glaciers are complex hydrogeological systems that might act as relevant groundwater storages; therefore, the discharge behavior of these alpine landforms needs to be better understood. Hydrogeological and geophysical investigations at a relict rock glacier in the Niedere Tauern Range (Austria) reveal a slow and fast flow component that appear to be related to the heterogeneous structure of the aquifer. A numerical groundwaterflow model was used to indicate the influence of important internal structures such as layering, preferential flow paths and aquifer-base topography. Discharge dynamics can be reproduced reasonably by both introducing layers of strongly different hydraulic conductivities or by a network of highly conductive channels within a low-conductivity zone. Moreover, the topography of the aquifer base influences the discharge dynamics, which can be observed particularly in simply structured aquifers. Hydraulic conductivity differences of three orders of magnitude are required to account for the observed discharge behavior: a highly conductive layer and/or channel network controlling the fast and flashy spring responses to recharge events, as opposed to less conductive sediment accumulations sustaining the long-term base flow. The results show that the hydraulic behavior of this relict rock glacier and likely that of others can be adequately represented by two aquifer components. However, the attempt to characterize the two components by inverse modeling results in ambiguity of internal structures when solely discharge data are available.

As a part of the license application for a final repository for spent nuclear fuel at Forsmark, the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) has undertaken a series of groundwaterflow modelling studies. These represent time periods with different hydraulic conditions and the simulations carried out contribute to the overall evaluation of the repository design and long-term radiological safety. This report is concerned with the modelling of a repository at the Laxemar-Simpevarp site during periglacial and glacial climate conditions as a comparison to corresponding modelling carried out for Forsmark /Vidstrand et al. 2010/. The groundwaterflow modelling study reported here comprises a coupled thermal-hydraulic-chemical (T-H-C) analysis of periods with periglacial and glacial climate conditions. The objective of the report is to provide bounding hydrogeological estimates at different stages during glaciation and deglaciation of a glacial cycle at Laxemar. Three cases with different climate conditions are analysed here: (i) Temperate case, (ii) Glacial case without permafrost, and (iii) Glacial case with permafrost. The glacial periods are transient and encompass approximately 13,000 years. The simulation results comprise pressures, Darcy fluxes, and water salinities, as well as advective transport performance measures obtained by particle tracking such as flow path lengths, travel times and flow-related transport resistances. The modelling is accompanied by a sensitivity study that addresses the impact of the following matters: the direction of the ice sheet advance and the bedrock hydraulic and transport properties

Full Text Available The retention of phosphorus in surface waters though co-precipitation of phosphate with Fe-oxyhydroxides during exfiltration of anaerobic Fe(II rich groundwater is not well understood. We developed an experimental field set-up to study Fe(II oxidation and P immobilization along the flow-path from groundwater to surface water in an agricultural experimental catchment of a small lowland river. We physically separated tube drain effluent from groundwater discharge before it entered a ditch in an agricultural field. Through continuous discharge measurements and weekly water quality sampling of groundwater, tube drain water, exfiltrated groundwater, and ditch water, we investigated Fe(II oxidation kinetics and P immobilization processes. The oxidation rate inferred from our field measurements closely agreed with the general rate law for abiotic oxidation of Fe(II by O2. Seasonal changes in climatic conditions affected the Fe(II oxidation process. Lower pH and lower temperatures in winter (compared to summer resulted in low Fe oxidation rates. After exfiltration to the surface water, it took a couple of days to more than one week before complete oxidation of Fe(II is reached. In summer time, Fe oxidation rates were much higher. The Fe concentrations in the exfiltrated groundwater were low, indicating that dissolved Fe(II is completely oxidized prior to inflow into a ditch. While the Fe oxidation rates reduce drastically from summer to winter, P concentrations remained high in the groundwater and an order of magnitude lower in the surface water throughout the year. This study shows very fast immobilisation of dissolved P during the initial stage of the Fe(II oxidation proces which results in P-depleted water before Fe(II is competly depleted. This cannot be explained by surface complexation of phosphate to freshly formed Fe-oxyhydroxides but indicates the formation of Fe(III-phosphate precipitates. The formation of Fe(III-phosphates at redox gradients

Aquifers within the Pampa del Tamarugal Basin (Atacama Desert, northern Chile) are the sole source of water for the coastal city of Iquique and the economically important mining industry. Despite this, the regional groundwater system remains poorly understood. Although it is widely accepted that aquifer recharge originates as precipitation in the Altiplano and Andean Cordillera to the east, there remains debate on whether recharge is driven primarily by near-surface groundwaterflow in response to periodic flood events or by basal groundwater flux through deep-seated basin fractures. In addressing this debate, the present study quantifies spatial and temporal variability in regional-scale groundwaterflow paths at 20.5°S latitude by combining a two-dimensional model of groundwater and heat flow with field observations and δ18O isotope values in surface water and groundwater. Results suggest that both previously proposed aquifer recharge mechanisms are likely influencing aquifers within the Pampa del Tamarugal Basin; however, each mechanism is operating on different spatial and temporal scales. Storm-driven flood events in the Altiplano readily transmit groundwater to the eastern Pampa del Tamarugal Basin through near-surface groundwaterflow on short time scales, e.g., 100-101 years, but these effects are likely isolated to aquifers in the eastern third of the basin. In addition, this study illustrates a physical mechanism for groundwater originating in the eastern highlands to recharge aquifers and salars in the western Pampa del Tamarugal Basin over timescales of 104-105 years.

Aquifers within the Pampa del Tamarugal Basin (Atacama Desert, northern Chile) are the sole source of water for the coastal city of Iquique and the economically important mining industry. Despite this, the regional groundwater system remains poorly understood. Although it is widely accepted that aquifer recharge originates as precipitation in the Altiplano and Andean Cordillera to the east, there remains debate on whether recharge is driven primarily by near-surface groundwaterflow in response to periodic flood events or by basal groundwater flux through deep-seated basin fractures. In addressing this debate, the present study quantifies spatial and temporal variability in regional-scale groundwaterflow paths at 20.5°S latitude by combining a two-dimensional model of groundwater and heat flow with field observations and δ18O isotope values in surface water and groundwater. Results suggest that both previously proposed aquifer recharge mechanisms are likely influencing aquifers within the Pampa del Tamarugal Basin; however, each mechanism is operating on different spatial and temporal scales. Storm-driven flood events in the Altiplano readily transmit groundwater to the eastern Pampa del Tamarugal Basin through near-surface groundwaterflow on short time scales, e.g., 100-101 years, but these effects are likely isolated to aquifers in the eastern third of the basin. In addition, this study illustrates a physical mechanism for groundwater originating in the eastern highlands to recharge aquifers and salars in the western Pampa del Tamarugal Basin over timescales of 104-105 years.

Hydrochemical and isotope data in conjunction with hydraulic head and spring discharge observations were used to characterize the regional groundwaterflow dynamics and the role of the tectonic setting in the Gidabo River Basin, Ethiopian Rift. Both groundwater levels and hydrochemical and isotopic data indicate groundwaterflow from the major recharge area in the highland and escarpment into deep rift floor aquifers, suggesting a deep regional flow system can be distinguished from the shallow local aquifers. The δ18O and δ2H values of deep thermal (≥30 °C) groundwater are depleted relative to the shallow (floor. Based on the δ18O values, the thermal groundwater is found to be recharged in the highland around 2,600 m a.s.l. and on average mixed with a proportion of 30 % shallow groundwater. While most groundwater samples display diluted solutions, δ13C data of dissolved inorganic carbon reveal that locally the thermal groundwater near fault zones is loaded with mantle CO2, which enhances silicate weathering and leads to anomalously high total dissolved solids (2,000-2,320 mg/l) and fluoride concentrations (6-15 mg/l) exceeding the recommended guideline value. The faults are generally found to act as complex conduit leaky barrier systems favoring vertical mixing processes. Normal faults dipping to the west appear to facilitate movement of groundwater into deeper aquifers and towards the rift floor, whereas those dipping to the east tend to act as leaky barriers perpendicular to the fault but enable preferential flow parallel to the fault plane.

Kamas Valley, Utah, is located about 50 miles east of Salt Lake City and is undergoing residential development. The increasing number of wells and septic systems raised concerns of water managers and prompted this hydrologic study. About 350,000 acre-feet per year of surface water flows through Kamas Valley in the Weber River, Beaver Creek, and Provo River, which originate in the Uinta Mountains east of the study area. The ground-water system in this area consists of water in unconsolidated deposits and consolidated rock; water budgets indicate very little interaction between consolidated rock and unconsolidated deposits. Most recharge to consolidated rock occurs at higher altitudes in the mountains and discharges to streams and springs upgradient of Kamas Valley. About 38,000 acre-feet per year of water flows through the unconsolidated deposits in Kamas Valley. Most recharge is from irrigation and seepage from major streams; most discharge is to Beaver Creek in the middle part of the valley. Long-term water-level fluctuations range from about 3 to 17 feet. Seasonal fluctuations exceed 50 feet. Transmissivity varies over four orders of magnitude in both the unconsolidated deposits and consolidated rock and is typically 1,000 to 10,000 feet squared per day in unconsolidated deposits and 100 feet squared per day in consolidated rock as determined from specific capacity. Water samples collected from wells, streams, and springs had nitrate plus nitrite concentrations (as N) substantially less than 10 mg/L. Total and fecal coliform bacteria were detected in some surface-water samples and probably originate from livestock. Septic systems do not appear to be degrading water quality. A numerical ground-waterflow model developed to test the conceptual understanding of the ground-water system adequately simulates water levels and flow in the unconsolidated deposits. Analyses of model fit and sensitivity were used to refine the conceptual and numerical models.

A numerical study was undertaken to investigate the effects of waves on groundwaterflow and associated inland-released solute transport based on tracer experiments in a laboratory beach. The MARUN model was used to simulate the density-dependent groundwaterflow and subsurface solute transport in the saturated and unsaturated regions of the beach subjected to waves. The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software, Fluent, was used to simulate waves, which were the seaward boundary condition for MARUN. A no-wave case was also simulated for comparison. Simulation results matched the observed water table and concentration at numerous locations. The results revealed that waves generated seawater-groundwater circulations in the swash and surf zones of the beach, which induced a large seawater-groundwater exchange across the beach face. In comparison to the no-wave case, waves significantly increased the residence time and spreading of inland-applied solutes in the beach. Waves also altered solute pathways and shifted the solute discharge zone further seaward. Residence Time Maps (RTM) revealed that the wave-induced residence time of the inland-applied solutes was largest near the solute exit zone to the sea. Sensitivity analyses suggested that the change in the permeability in the beach altered solute transport properties in a nonlinear way. Due to the slow movement of solutes in the unsaturated zone, the mass of the solute in the unsaturated zone, which reached up to 10% of the total mass in some cases, constituted a continuous slow release of solutes to the saturated zone of the beach. This means of control was not addressed in prior studies.

Large-scale storage of carbon dioxide in saline aquifers may cause considerable pressure perturbation and brine migration in deep rock formations, which may have a significant influence on the regional groundwater system. With the help of parallel computing techniques, we conducted a comprehensive, large-scale numerical simulation of CO{sub 2} geologic storage that predicts not only CO{sub 2} migration, but also its impact on regional groundwaterflow. As a case study, a hypothetical industrial-scale CO{sub 2} injection in Tokyo Bay, which is surrounded by the most heavily industrialized area in Japan, was considered, and the impact of CO{sub 2} injection on near-surface aquifers was investigated, assuming relatively high seal-layer permeability (higher than 10 microdarcy). A regional hydrogeological model with an area of about 60 km x 70 km around Tokyo Bay was discretized into about 10 million gridblocks. To solve the high-resolution model efficiently, we used a parallelized multiphase flow simulator TOUGH2-MP/ECO2N on a world-class high performance supercomputer in Japan, the Earth Simulator. In this simulation, CO{sub 2} was injected into a storage aquifer at about 1 km depth under Tokyo Bay from 10 wells, at a total rate of 10 million tons/year for 100 years. Through the model, we can examine regional groundwater pressure buildup and groundwater migration to the land surface. The results suggest that even if containment of CO{sub 2} plume is ensured, pressure buildup on the order of a few bars can occur in the shallow confined aquifers over extensive regions, including urban inlands.

Instream flow requirements for protected species in arid and semi-arid regions have created the need to reduce groundwater use adjacent to streams. We present an integrated hydrologic-economic model that optimizes agricultural groundwater use next to streams with flow standards. Policies to meet instream flow standards should aim to minimize the welfare losses to irrigated agriculture due to reduced pumping. Previous economic studies have proposed spatially targeted water allocations between groundwater irrigators and instream demands. However, these studies focused on meeting aggregate instream flow goals on a seasonal or yearly basis rather than meeting them on a continuous basis. Temporally aggregated goals ignore important intra-seasonal hydrologic effects and may not provide sufficient habitat quality for species of concern. We present an optimization model that solves for groundwater pumping allocations across space in a stream-aquifer system with instream flow goals that must be met on a daily basis. We combine an analytical model of stream depletion with a farm profit maximization model that includes cumulative crop yield damages from water stress. The objective is the minimization of agricultural losses from reduced groundwater use while minimum instream flow requirements for ecological needs are met on a daily basis. As a case study, we apply our model to the Scott River Basin in northern California. This is a region where stream depletion resulting from extensive irrigation has degraded habitat for Coho salmon, a species protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Our results indicate the importance of considering the lag between the time at which pumping occurs and the time at which stream depletion related to that pumping occurs. In general, we find that wells located farther from the stream should be allocated more water in most hydrologic scenarios. However, we also find that the spatial and temporal distribution of optimal groundwater pumping

A groundwater-flow model that was constructed in 1996 of the Saginaw aquifer was refined to better represent the regional hydrologic system in the Tri-County region, which consists of Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham Counties, Michigan. With increasing demand for groundwater, the need to manage withdrawals from the Saginaw aquifer has become more important, and the 1996 model could not adequately address issues of water quality and quantity. An updated model was needed to better address potential effects of drought, locally high water demands, reduction of recharge by impervious surfaces, and issues affecting water quality, such as contaminant sources, on water resources and the selection of pumping rates and locations. The refinement of the groundwater-flow model allows simulations to address these issues of water quantity and quality and provides communities with a tool that will enable them to better plan for expansion and protection of their groundwater-supply systems. Model refinement included representation of the system under steady-state and transient conditions, adjustments to the estimated regional groundwater-recharge rates to account for both temporal and spatial differences, adjustments to the representation and hydraulic characteristics of the glacial deposits and Saginaw Formation, and updates to groundwater-withdrawal rates to reflect changes from the early 1900s to 2005. Simulations included steady-state conditions (in which stresses remained constant and changes in storage were not included) and transient conditions (in which stresses changed in annual and monthly time scales and changes in storage within the system were included). These simulations included investigation of the potential effects of reduced recharge due to impervious areas or to low-rainfall/drought conditions, delineation of contributing areas with recent pumping rates, and optimization of pumping subject to various quantity and quality constraints. Simulation results indicate

The Edwards-Trinity aquifer, a major aquifer in the Pecos County region of western Texas, is a vital groundwater resource for agricultural, industrial, and public supply uses. Resource managers would like to better understand the future availability of water in the Edwards-Trinity aquifer in the Pecos County region and the effects of the possible increase or temporal redistribution of groundwater withdrawals. To that end, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Middle Pecos Groundwater Conservation District, Pecos County, City of Fort Stockton, Brewster County, and Pecos County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1, completed a comprehensive, integrated analysis of available hydrogeologic data to develop a groundwater-flow model of the Edwards-Trinity and related aquifers in parts of Brewster, Jeff Davis, Pecos, and Reeves Counties. Following calibration, the model was used to evaluate the sustainability of recent (2008) and projected water-use demands on groundwater resources in the study area.

Environmental tracers provide information on groundwater age, recharge conditions, and flow processes which can be helpful for evaluating groundwater sustainability and vulnerability. Dissolved noble gas data have proven particularly useful in mountainous terrain because they can be used to determine recharge elevation. However, tracer-derived recharge elevations have not been utilized as calibration targets for numerical groundwaterflow models. Herein, we constrain and calibrate a regional groundwaterflow model with noble-gas-derived recharge elevations for the first time. Tritium and noble gas tracer results improved the site conceptual model by identifying a previously uncertain contribution of mountain block recharge from the Coast Mountains to an alluvial coastal aquifer in humid southwestern British Columbia. The revised conceptual model was integrated into a three-dimensional numerical groundwaterflow model and calibrated to hydraulic head data in addition to recharge elevations estimated from noble gas recharge temperatures. Recharge elevations proved to be imperative for constraining hydraulic conductivity, recharge location, and bedrock geometry, and thus minimizing model nonuniqueness. Results indicate that 45% of recharge to the aquifer is mountain block recharge. A similar match between measured and modeled heads was achieved in a second numerical model that excludes the mountain block (no mountain block recharge), demonstrating that hydraulic head data alone are incapable of quantifying mountain block recharge. This result has significant implications for understanding and managing source water protection in recharge areas, potential effects of climate change, the overall water budget, and ultimately ensuring groundwater sustainability.

Frequent flow cutoff has a serious effect on the eco-environment of the region along the Lower Yellow River. The authors study the impact on lateral seepage quantity and groundwater cycling caused by cutoff of the Yellow River and compare it with that of the year 1999 through the numerical simulation model of ground-waterflow system of the affected zone. The lateral seepage quantity decreased 53.8% on flow cutoff stage from Huayuankou to the river entrance and breaking time of 300 d. The lateral seepage quantity will decrease 46.3% if flow cutoff is from Jiahetan to the river entrance and breaking time is 300 d, and it will decrease 75.2% if flow cutoff occurs throughout the year. The lateral seepage quantity will decrease 19.8% if flow cutoff is from Luokou to the river entrance and breaking time is 300 d, and it will decrease 25.1% if flow cutoff occurs throughout the year. The lateral seepage quantity will decrease 4.7% if flow cutoff is from Lijin to the river entrance and flow cutoff occurs throughout the year. Flow cutoff of the Yellow River has a minor effect on the shape of ground-waterflow domain of the affected zone. Thus, the bound-ary condition of the shallow groundwater system will not change. Although flow cutoffhas a major influence on the riverside source fields in the Lower Yellow River, it will not have a significant effect on groundwater resources macroscopically in the affected zone of the Yellow River due to its large storage capacity.

Isotopic and hydrogeochemical analysis, combined with temperature investigation, was conducted to characterize the flow system in the carbonate aquifer at Taiyuan, northern China. The previous division of karst subsystems in Taiyuan, i.e. the Xishan (XMK), Dongshan (DMK) and Beishan (BMK) mountain systems, were also examined. The measured δD, δ 18O and 3He/4He in water indicate that both thermal and cold groundwaters have a meteoric origin rather than deep crustal origin. Age dating using 3H and 14C shows that groundwater samples from discharge zones along faults located at the margin of mountains in the XMK and DMK are a mixture of paleometeoric thermal waters and younger cold waters from local flow systems. 14C data suggest that the average age was about 10,000 years and 4,000 years for thermal and cold groundwater in discharge zones, respectively. Based on the data of temperature, water solute chemical properties, 14C, δ 34SSO4, 87Sr/86Sr and δ 18O, different flow paths in the XMK and DMK were distinguished. Shallow groundwater passes through the upper Ordovician formations, producing younger waters at the discharge zone (low temperature and ionic concentration and enriched D and 18O). Deep groundwaterflows through the lower Ordovician and Cambrian formations, producing older waters at the discharge zone (high ionic concentration and temperature and depleted D and 18O). At the margin of mountains, groundwater in deep systems flows vertically up along faults and mixes with groundwater from shallow flow systems. By contrast, only a single flow system through the entire Cambrian to Ordovician formations occurs in the BMK.

Water is a primary controlling factor for economic development and ecological environmental protection in the inland river basins of arid western China. And it is groundwater, as the most important component of total water resources, that plays a dominant role in the development of western China. In recent years, the use-ratio of surface water has been raised, the groundwater recharge rate from surface water has been reduced, and groundwater has been exploited on a large scale. This has led to the decline of ground-water levels and the degradation of eco-environments in the Heihe watershed. Therefore, the study on the change in groundwater levels in recent years, as well as simulating and predicting groundwater levels in the future, have become very significant for im-proving the ecological environment of the Heihe River Basin, to coordinate the water contradiction among upper, middle and lower reaches of Heihe River Basin and to allocate the water resources. The purpose of this study is to analyze the groundwa-ter-level variations of the Ejina region based on a large scale, to develop and evaluate a conceptual groundwater model in Ejina Basin, to establish the groundwaterflow model using the experimental observation data and combining Modular Three-Dimensional GroundwaterFlow Model (MODFLOW) and GIS software, to simulate the regional hydrologic regime in re-cent 10 years and compare various water-delivery scenarios from midstream, and to determine which one would be the best plan for maintaining and recovering the groundwater levels and increasing the area of Ejina oasis. Finally this paper discusses the pos-sible vegetation changes of Ejina Basin in the future.

One of the biggest water resource of Slovenian capital is groundwater of Ljubljana moor (Ljubljansko barje) aquifer. Quantity and quality of groundwater in Ljubljana moor aquifer directly depend on precipitation, surface water and riparian ecosystems of the Moor and indirectly by groundwater recharge from higher-lying mountainous karstic areas of forests and grasslands. Maintaining high groundwater level of the Ljubljana moor not only sustain stable water balance of aquifer, but also its riparian and wetland character. It also inhibit larger subsidence of the terrain. The paper addresses the vulnerability of the Ljubljana moor water resources to climate and land use change and due to groundwater overdraft. The results should help in selecting suitable mitigation measures and management of the Ljubljana moor area. We analyze surface and groundwaterflow characteristics of water recharge area of one water work on the Ljubljana moor (Brest) from the point of view of climate change, changes in land use and water pumping practices. The I\\vska River, a tributary to the Ljubljanica River, recharges the area in the gravel bar, which lies just below the hills. We use existing data of meteorological, hydrological and hydrogeological monitoring and simulate rainfall-runoff processes. We use a conceptual semi-distributed rainfall-runoff model HBV-Light and simulate hydrological characteristics of the Ljubljana Moor (groundwater level fluctuations and recharge, surface - groundwater interchange) with two hydrodynamic models, DHI MIKE FLOOD (surface flow, 2D simulation) and DHI MIKE SHE (groundwaterflow). For a calibration of runoff model HBV Light and MIKE SHE we use measured daily discharge data of the river I\\vska (1970-2010) and groundwater level data along the river (2010-2013) respectively. In groundwater modelling, we include the data of water pumping. Daily precipitation and temperature for period 2020 - 2050 are from ESAMBLE project for two GCM climate scenarios. We

This paper describes a continental-scale groundwaterflow system that exists under the sea floor along the ~2,000+ km long passive margin of northern Australia. The flow system has been mapped using data from off-shore petroleum exploration wells, and is confined within a 30~300-m thick sequence of quartzose sandstones of the Plover Formation. The Plover Aquifer comprises a Jurassic-age siliciclastic fluviodeltaic interval that grades stratigraphically into Cretaceous marine sandstones of the overlying Flamingo Group. Observed patterns of hydraulic head indicate a gentle northeast-to-southwest hydraulic gradient, which is parallel to a strong structural fabric created by faulting and extension along the Timor Trench/Australian continental margin. We propose that mostly lateral flow exists within the highly permeable Plover and Flamingo sandstones, over a distance of 1500-2000 km, that extends from the southern foreland basin of Papua, Indonesia, across the Arafura Basin and arches, and the 5-10 km thick passive margin sequence of the Mesozoic-Cenozoic age Sahul Platform. We further propose that this giant hydrodynamic system was created and sustained since Eocene time during uplift of the New Guinea fold-and-thrust belt. The flow system observed today is a paleohydrologic relict of Pleistocene-Holocene times, when glaciation-induced sea level lowstands resulted in subaerial emergence of the Arafura Basin and Sahul Platform. Finite element modeling supports our hypothesis that simple topographically-driven flow created this mega-scale groundwaterflow system, which has since been submerged by rising sea levels in the most recent Holocene.

This talk is concerned with the efficient solution of Ax=b, where A is a large, sparse, symmetric positive definite matrix arising from a standard finite element discretisation of the groundwaterflow problem {triangledown}{sm_bullet}(k{triangledown}p)=0. Here k is the coefficient of rock permeability in applications and is highly discontinuous. The discretisation is carried out using the Harwell NAMMU finite element package, using, for 2D, 9 node biquadratic rectangular elements, and 27 node biquadratics for 3D. The aim is to develop a robust technique for iterative solutions of 3D problems based on a regional groundwaterflow model of a geological area with sharply varying hydrogeological properties. Numerical experiments with polynomial preconditioned conjugate gradient methods on a 2D groundwaterflow model were found to yield very poor results, converging very slowly. In order to utilise the fact that A comes from the discretisation of a PDE the authors try the two grid method as is well analysed from studies of multigrid methods, see for example {open_quotes}Multi-Grid Methods and Applications{close_quotes} by W. Hackbusch. Specifically they consider two discretisations resulting in stiffness matrices A{sub N} and A{sub n}, of size N and n respectively, where N > n, for both a model problem and the geological model. They perform a number of conjugate gradient steps on the fine grid, ie using A{sub N}, followed by an exact coarse grid solve, using A{sub n}, and then update the fine grid solution, the exact coarse grid solve being done using a frontal method factorisation of A{sub n}. Note that in the context of the standard two grid method this is equivalent to using conjugate gradients as a fine grid smoothing step. Experimental results are presented to show the superiority of the two grid iteration method over the polynomial preconditioned conjugate gradient method.

Vertical flow systems filled with porous medium have been shown to efficiently remove volatile organic contaminants (VOCs) from contaminated groundwater. To apply this semi-natural remediation strategy it is however necessary to distinguish between removal due to biodegradation and due to volatile losses to the atmosphere. Especially for (potentially) toxic VOCs, the latter needs to be minimized to limit atmospheric emissions. In this study, numerical simulation was used to investigate quantitatively the removal of volatile organic compounds in two pilot-scale water treatment systems: an unplanted vertical flow filter and a planted one, which could also be called a vertical flow constructed wetland, both used for the treatment of contaminated groundwater. These systems were intermittently loaded with contaminated water containing benzene and MTBE as main VOCs. The highly dynamic but permanently unsaturated conditions in the porous medium facilitated aerobic biodegradation but could lead to volatile emissions of the contaminants. Experimental data from porous material analyses, flow rate measurements, solute tracer and gas tracer test, as well as contaminant concentration measurements at the boundaries of the systems were used to constrain a numerical reactive transport modeling approach. Numerical simulations considered unsaturated water flow, transport of species in the aqueous and the gas phase as well as aerobic degradation processes, which made it possible to quantify the rates of biodegradation and volatile emissions and calculating their contribution to total contaminant removal. A range of degradation rates was determined using experimental results of both systems under two operation modes and validated by field data obtained at different operation modes applied to the filters. For both filters, simulations and experimental data point to high biodegradation rates, if the flow filters have had time to build up their removal capacity. For this case volatile

Over the past decade, the U.S. Forest Service has monitored the subsurface hillslope flow of the E-Road swale. The swale is located in the Caspar Creek watershed near Fort Bragg, California. In hydrologic year 1990 a logging road was built across the middle section of the hillslope followed by a total clearcut of the area during the following year. Development of the logging road has resulted in a large build up of subsurface waters upslope of the road. The increase in pore pressures behind the road is of major concern for slope stability and road failure. A conceptual model is developed to describe the movement of water within the E-Road groundwater system. The two-dimensional SUTRA model is used to describe both saturated and partially saturated flow within the system. SUTRA utilizes a finite element and integrated finite difference method to approximate the governing equation for flow. The model appears to reproduce the uniquely different frequency responses within the E-Road groundwater system. A comparison of simulated and historical piezometric responses demonstrates the model's inability to reproduce historical drainage rates. The low rates of simulated drainage are attributed to the absence of pipeflow within the model. Finally, road consolidation is associated with increased water pressures beneath the road bed.

To better understand the groundwater resources of southern Nye County, Nevada, a multipart distributed thermal perturbation sensing (DTPS) test was performed on a complex of three wells. These wells penetrate an alluvial aquifer that drains the Nevada National Security Site, and characterizing the hydraulic properties and flow paths of the regional groundwaterflow system has proven very difficult. The well complex comprised one pumping well and two observation wells, both located 18 m from the pumping well. Using fiber-optic cables and line heaters, DTPS tests were performed under both stressed and unstressed conditions. Each test injects heat into the water column over a period of one to two days, and observes the rising temperature during heat injection and falling temperatures after heating ceases. Aquifer thermal properties are inferred from temperature patterns in the cased section of the wells, and fluxes through the 30-m screened section are estimated based on a model that incorporates conductive and advective heat fluxes. Vertical variations in flux are examined on a scale of tens of cm. The actively flowing zones of the aquifer change between the stressed and unstressed test, and anisotropy in the aquifer permeability is apparent from the changing fluxes between tests. The fluxes inferred from the DTPS tests are compared to solute tracer tests previously performed on the same site. The DTPS-based fluxes are consistent with the fastest solute transport observed in the tracer test, but appear to overestimate the mean flux through the system.

Coupled hydrogeological-thermal simulation of the Standing Column Well (SCW) system is essential to provide an optimized configuration and operation schedule for boreholes on the site.This paper presents numerical investigations and thermo-hydraulic evaluation of standing column well system operating under cyclic flow regime.A three-dimensional numerical model for groundwaterflow and heat transport is used to analyze the heat exchange in the ground.The model includes the effects of convective and conductive heat transfer, heat loss to the adjacent confining strata, and hydraulic anisotropy.The operation scenario consists of cyclic injection and recovery and four periods per year to simulate the seasonal temperature conditions.For different parameters of the system, performances have been evaluated in terms of variations in recovery temperature.The calculated temperatures at the producing pipe are relatively constant within a certain range through the year and fluctuating quarterly a year.Pipe-to-pipe distance, injection/production rate, ground thickness, and permeability considered in the model are shown to impact the predicted temperature profiles at each stage and the recovery water temperature.The influence of pressure gradient, which determines the velocity of regional groundwaterflow, is most substantial.

Full Text Available Even though a large number of large-scale arch dams with height larger than 200 m have been built in the world, the transient groundwaterflow behaviors and the seepage control effects in the dam foundations under difficult geological conditions are rarely reported. This paper presents a case study on the transient groundwaterflow behaviors in the rock foundation of Jinping I double-curvature arch dam, the world's highest dam of this type to date that has been completed. Taking into account the geological settings at the site, an inverse modeling technique utilizing the time series measurements of both hydraulic head and discharge was adopted to back-calculate the permeability of the foundation rocks, which effectively improves the uniqueness and reliability of the inverse modeling results. The transient seepage flow in the dam foundation during the reservoir impounding was then modeled with a parabolic variational inequality (PVI method. The distribution of pore water pressure, the amount of leakage, and the performance of the seepage control system in the dam foundation during the entire impounding process were finally illustrated with the numerical results.

The Integrated Water Flow Model (IWFM) is a comprehensive input-driven application for simulating groundwaterflow, surface water flow and land-surface hydrologic processes, and interactions between these processes, developed by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). IWFM couples a 3-D finite element groundwaterflow process and 1-D land surface, lake, stream flow and vertical unsaturated-zone flow processes which are solved simultaneously at each time step. The groundwaterflow system is simulated as a multilayer aquifer system with a mixture of confined and unconfined aquifers separated by semiconfining layers. The groundwaterflow process can simulate changing aquifer conditions (confined to unconfined and vice versa), subsidence, tile drains, injection wells and pumping wells. The land surface process calculates elemental water budgets for agricultural, urban, riparian and native vegetation classes. Crop water demands are dynamically calculated using distributed soil properties, land use and crop data, and precipitation and evapotranspiration rates. The crop mix can also be automatically modified as a function of pumping lift using logit functions. Surface water diversions and groundwater pumping can each be specified, or can be automatically adjusted at run time to balance water supply with water demand. The land-surface process also routes runoff to streams and deep percolation to the unsaturated zone. Surface water networks are specified as a series of stream nodes (coincident with groundwater nodes) with specified bed elevation, conductance and stage-flow relationships. Stream nodes are linked to form stream reaches. Stream inflows at the model boundary, surface water diversion locations, and one or more surface water deliveries per location are specified. IWFM routes stream flows through the network, calculating groundwater-surface water interactions, accumulating inflows from runoff, and allocating available stream flows to meet specified or

In 2002–03, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a study of the geomorphic, flood, and groundwater-flow characteristics of five Bayfield Peninsula streams, Wisconsin (Cranberry River, Bark River, Raspberry River, Sioux River, and Whittlesey Creek) to determine the physical limitations for brook-trout habitat. The goals of the study were threefold: (1) to describe geomorphic characteristics and processes, (2) to determine how land-cover characteristics affect flood peaks, and (3) to determine how regional groundwaterflow patterns affect base flow.

Groundwaterflow systems are the subsurface elements of the hydrologic cycle, thus they have an important effect on surface water bodies and surface water-groundwater interaction processes. Moreover, groundwaterflow systems are not simple, different driving forces govern and form different regimes with different behaviour. Their effects on surface systems differs, respectively. Based on this consideration, the characterization of the subsurface flow regimes and their operating mechanisms are crucial for the understanding of hydrological problems and situations at the surface. The Great Hungarian Plain can be handled as a natural laboratory, where several geological mechanisms act as groundwater driving forces. As a result, two main flow regimes, a gravity-driven, unconfined, and a confined, overpressured system could be separated (Tóth and Almási, 2001). The recharge and water budget of the systems, their spatial distribution, and their surface discharge features influence the possibilities of water withdrawal from them, their effect on the surface water bodies, vegetation, soil mechanisms and salinization etc. Numerical modelling with COMSOL Multiphysics was carried out for the Duna-Tisza Interfluve area of the Great Hungarian Plain, to characterize the two main flow regimes at three different scales. The aim of the study was to understand the flow distribution and their surface discharge character in quantitative way. The simulation was based on the understanding of the systems' operation from preproduction hydraulic head and pressure data analysis by Mádl-Szönyi and Tóth (2009). These data could serve as basis for the validation of the model. The results were interpreted and discussed focusing on the flow systems' possible influence on the surface salinization, lake water - groundwater interactions, inland water problems, land-use planning. It could be revealed that overpressured system is concentrated in the deep basin and the overpressure maintains

This report documents the use of the simulator RAFT for the ReActive flow and Transport of groundwater contaminants. RAFT can be used as a predictive tool in the design and analysis of laboratory and field experiments or it can be used for the estimation of model/process parameters from experiments. RAFT simulates the reactive transport of groundwater contaminants in one, two-, or three-dimensions and it can model user specified source/link configurations and arbitrary injection strategies. A suite of solvers for transport, reactions and regression are employed so that a combination of numerical methods best suited for a problem can be chosen. User specified coupled equilibrium and kinetic reaction systems can be incorporated into RAFT. RAFT is integrated with a symbolic computational language MAPLE, to automate code generation for arbitrary reaction systems. RAFT is expected to be used as a simulator for engineering design for field experiments in groundwater remediation including bioremediation, reactive barriers and redox manipulation. As an integrated tool with both the predictive ability and the ability to analyze experimental data, RAFT can help in the development of remediation technologies, from laboratory to field.

We developed a new method to calibrate aquifer parameters of steady-state well field models using measured time series of head fluctuations. Our method is an alternative to standard pumping tests and is based on time series analysis using parametric impulse response functions. First, the pumping influence is isolated from the overall groundwater fluctuation observed at monitoring wells around the well field, and response functions are determined for each individual well. Time series parameters are optimized using a quasi-Newton algorithm. For one monitoring well, time series model parameters are also optimized by means of SCEM-UA, a Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm, as a control on the validity of the parameters obtained by the faster quasi-Newton method. Subsequently, the drawdown corresponding to an average yearly pumping rate is calculated from the response functions determined by time series analysis. The drawdown values estimated with acceptable confidence intervals are used as calibration targets of a steady groundwaterflow model. A case study is presented of the drinking water supply well field of Waalwijk (Netherlands). In this case study, a uniform aquifer transmissivity is optimized together with the conductance of ditches in the vicinity of the well field. Groundwater recharge or boundary heads do not have to be entered, which eliminates two import sources of uncertainty. The method constitutes a cost-efficient alternative to pumping tests and allows the determination of pumping influences without changes in well field operation.

This report presents a continuation from Oldenburg et al. (2002) of analysis of the hydrogeology, In-Situ Permeable Flow Sensor (ISPFS) results, aquifer response, and changes in the trichloroethylene (TCE) groundwater plume at Operational Unit 1 (OU 1) adjacent to the former Fritzsche Army Airfield at the former Fort Ord Army Base, located on Monterey Bay in northern Monterey County. Fuels and solvents were burned on a portion of OU 1 called the Fire Drill Area (FDA) during airport fire suppression training between 1962 and 1985. This activity resulted in soil and groundwater contamination in the unconfined A-aquifer. In the late 1980's, soil excavation and bioremediation were successful in remediating soil contamination at the site. Shortly thereafter, a groundwater pump, treat, and recharge system commenced operation. This system has been largely successful at remediating groundwater contamination at the head of the groundwater plume. However, a trichloroethylene (TCE) groundwater plume extends approximately 3000 ft (900 m) to the northwest away from the FDA. In the analyses presented here, we augment our prior work (Oldenburg et al., 2002) with new information including treatment-system totalizer data, recent water-level and chemistry data, and data collected from new wells to discern trends in contaminant migration and groundwaterflow that may be useful for ongoing remediation efforts. Some conclusions from the prior study have been modified based on these new analyses, and these are pointed out clearly in this report.

Full Text Available In this study, modeling of the effect of rainfall, flow and evaporation as independent variables on the change of underground water levels as dependent variables were investigated by fuzzy logic (FL. In the study, total 396 values taken from six observation stations belong to Afyon inferior basin in Akarçay from 1977 to 1989 years were used. Using the monthly average values of stations, the change of underground water level was modeled by FL. It is observed that the results obtained from FL and the observations are compatible with each other. This shows FL modeling can be used to estimate groundwater levels from the appropriate meteorological value.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) embarked on a new initiative to strengthen the technical defensibility of the predictions being made with a site-wide groundwaterflow and transport model at the U.S. Department of Energy Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State. In FY 2000, the focus of the initiative was on the characterization of major uncertainties in the current conceptual model that would affect model predictions. The long-term goals of the initiative are the development and implementation of an uncertainty estimation methodology in future assessments and analyses using the site-wide model. This report focuses on the development and implementation of an uncertainty analysis framework.

Energy utilization in the aquifers is a new technology closely related to development of heat pump technique. It is significant for the flow distribution to be predicted in the aquifer surrounding the Groundwater Source Heat Pump System (GSHPS). The authors presented a new concept of "flow transfixion" by analyzing general features of aquifers, and then discussed interaction of the flow transfixion with the heat transfixion, which has practical significance to projects. A numerical model of groundwaterflow was established based on the basic tenets of water-heat transferring in the aquifer. On this basis the flow field and the temperature field of GSHPS for a site in Shenyang City were numerically simulated. The basis of the flow transfixion was obtained; it was discussed for the influence of the flow transfixion on the heat transfixion. To a certain extent, the study offers some reference for the projects' design of GSHP in the studied area.

Geological and structural influences on groundwaterflow and quality were evaluated in the present study in the hardrock regions of Tirunelveli District, southern India. Groundwater is a major source of freshwater in this region to cater to the requirements of domestic and agricultural activity, as there are no surface water resources. Geologically, the area is characterized by charnockites and garnetiferous biotite gneiss. Groundwater in this region is found to occur in the weathered portion under unconfined condition and in fractured/fissured portions under unconfined to semi-confined condition. Existence of deep-seated fractures are minimal. Lineaments/dykes play a major role in the occurrence and movement of groundwater in the region. Lineaments/dykes of the study area can be broadly divided into two types: north–south and west–east oriented structures. Analysis and field observations revealed that the north–south dykes act as a barrier of groundwater while the west–east oriented structures behave as a carrier of groundwater. Both quality and quantity of groundwater is different on the upstream and downstream sides of the dyke. Hence, it is conclusive that the west–east oriented dykes in this region are highly potential and act as a conduit for groundwater movement from recharge areas to the discharge area.

Characteristics of host rocks, secondary minerals, and fluids would affect the transport of radionuclides from a previously proposed repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Minerals in the Yucca Mountain tuffs that are important for retarding radionuclides include clinoptilolite and mordenite (zeolites), clay minerals, and iron and manganese oxides and hydroxides. Water compositions along flow paths beneath Yucca Mountain are controlled by dissolution reactions, silica and calcite precipitation, and ion-exchange reactions. Radionuclide concentrations along flow paths from a repository could be limited by (1) low waste-form dissolution rates, (2) low radionuclide solubility, and (3) radionuclide sorption onto geological media.

The hydrogeology of the Dhaka Regional GroundwaterFlow System (DGFS) is located in central Bangladesh, consisting of sediment accumulates from the Ganges and Brahmaputra Meghna (GBM) river systems. The DGFS system is stratigraphically and structurally complex and subjected to a variety of structural disruption. These sediment deposits form a complex, three-dimensional (3D) framework that can be subdivided into aquifers and confining units on the basis of their ability to store and transmit water. The aquifer systems in this region are geologically controlled and depend on the sedimentary characteristics of the depositional environment and related parameters. More than 20 years of ground-waterflow modeling of the DGFS has produced a succession of models that represent the regional hydrogeology and groundwaterflow system. However, incorporation of a geologic framework in the models with different geologic data sets or subsurface interpretation is often missing. Therefore, such incorporation of geological and sedimentological information within the modeling framework could increase model calibration. The separate geological structure of the Dhaka region is studied yet detailed spatial and depth variables of geological and sedimentological information is still not evident in the hydrogeological framework. In this background, the objective of the paper is therefore to incorporate the geological information into the hydrogeological framework model and advance the approach of hydrogeology for the DGFS. We have used the concept of the Hydrogeologic Unit (HGU) - the sediment and deposits formation of the hydrostratigraphic framework for a groundwaterflow system. The quaternary sedimentation processes of DGFS were subdivided into different cycles based on sea-level changes and Carbon-14 dating. The subdivisions are called 1a, 1b, 2 and 3 which correspond to high stand fluvial sequences (10-0 ka BP), Transgressive Tract/ low stand (20-10 ka BP), pre lows stand deposits

National-scale water-quality data sets for the United States have been available for several decades; however, groundwater models to interpret these data are available for only a small percentage of the country. Generalized models may be adequate to explain and project groundwater-quality trends at the national scale by using regional scale models (defined as watersheds at or between the HUC-6 and HUC-8 levels). Coast-to-coast data such as the National Hydrologic Dataset Plus (NHD+) make it possible to extract the basic building blocks for a model anywhere in the country. IPython notebooks have been developed to automate the creation of generalized groundwater-flow models from the NHD+. The notebook format allows rapid testing of methods for model creation, calibration, and analysis. Capabilities within the Python ecosystem greatly speed up the development and testing of algorithms. GeoPandas is used for very efficient geospatial processing. Raster processing includes the Geospatial Data Abstraction Library and image processing tools. Model creation is made possible through Flopy, a versatile input and output writer for several MODFLOW-based flow and transport model codes. Interpolation, integration, and map plotting included in the standard Python tool stack also are used, making the notebook a comprehensive platform within on to build and evaluate general models. Models with alternative boundary conditions, number of layers, and cell spacing can be tested against one another and evaluated by using water-quality data. Novel calibration criteria were developed by comparing modeled heads to land-surface and surface-water elevations. Information, such as predicted age distributions, can be extracted from general models and tested for its ability to explain water-quality trends. Groundwater ages then can be correlated with horizontal and vertical hydrologic position, a relation that can be used for statistical assessment of likely groundwater-quality conditions

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior — A three-dimensional groundwaterflow model was developed to characterize groundwater resources and the interaction of groundwater with streams and other hydrologic...

A computer-program interface between a geographic-information system and a groundwaterflow model links two unrelated software systems for use in developing the flow models. The interface program allows the modeler to compile and manage geographic components of a groundwater model within the geographic information system. A significant savings of time and effort is realized in developing, calibrating, and displaying the groundwaterflow model. Four major guidelines were followed in developing the interface program: (1) no changes to the groundwaterflow model code were to be made; (2) a data structure was to be designed within the geographic information system that follows the same basic data structure as the groundwaterflow model; (3) the interface program was to be flexible enough to support all basic data options available within the model; and (4) the interface program was to be as efficient as possible in terms of computer time used and online-storage space needed. Because some programs in the interface are written in control-program language, the interface will run only on a computer with the PRIMOS operating system. (USGS)

Access to affordable potable water is critical in the development and maintenance of urban centres. Given that water is a public good in Canada, all funds related to operation and maintenance of the drinking water and wastewater networks must come from consumers. An asset management system can be put in place by municipalities to more efficiently manage their water and wastewater distribution system to ensure proper use of these funds. The system works at the operational, tactical, and strategic levels, thus ensuring optimal scheduling of operation and maintenance activities, as well as prediction of future water demand scenarios. At the operational level, a fully integrated model is used to simulate the groundwater-surface water interaction of the Laurel Creek Watershed, of which 80% is urbanized by the City of Waterloo. Canadian municipalities typically lose 13% of their potable water through leaks in watermains and sanitary sewers, and sanitary sewers often generate substantial inflows from fractures in pipe walls. The City of Waterloo sanitary sewers carry an additional 10,000 cubic meters of water to wastewater treatment plants. Therefore, watermain and sanitary sewers present a significant impact on the groundwater-surface water interaction, as well as the affordability of the drinking water and wastewater networks as a whole. To determine areas of concern within the network, the integrated groundwater-surface water model also simulates flow through the City of Waterloo's watermain and sanitary sewer networks. The final model will be used to assess the interaction between measured losses of water from the City of Waterloo's watermain system, infiltration into the sanitary sewer system adjacent to the watermains, and the response of the groundwater system to deteriorated sanitary sewers or to pipes that have been recently renovated. This will ultimately contribute to the City of Waterloo's municipal asset management plan.

Like many other coastal areas, Göksu Delta (Mersin-Silifke, Southern Turkey) is a preferred place for human settlement especially due to its productive farmlands and water resources. The water dependent ecosystem in Göksu delta hosts about 332 different plant species and 328 different bird species besides serving for human use. Göksu Delta has been declared as Special Environmental Protection Zone, Wildlife Protection Area, and RAMSAR Convention for Wetlands of International Importance area. Unfortunately, rising population, agricultural and industrial activities cause degradation of water resources both by means of quality and quantity. This problem also exists for other wetlands around the world. It is necessary to prepare water management plans by taking global warming issues into account to protect water resources for next generations. To achieve this, the most efficient tool is to come up with groundwater management strategies by constructing groundwaterflow models. By this aim, groundwater modeling studies were carried out for Göksu Delta coastal aquifer system. As a first and most important step in all groundwater modeling studies, geological and hydrogeological settings of the study area have been investigated. Göksu Delta, like many other deltaic environments, has a complex structure because it was formed with the sediments transported by Göksu River throughout the Quaternary period and shaped throughout the transgression-regression periods. Both due to this complex structure and the lack of observation wells penetrating deep enough to give an idea of the total thickness of the delta, it was impossible to reveal out the hydrogeological setting in a correct manner. Therefore, six wells were drilled to construct the conceptual hydrogeological model of Göksu Delta coastal aquifer system. On the basis of drilling studies and slug tests that were conducted along Göksu Delta, hydrostratigraphic units of the delta system have been obtained. According to

Quantification of the ground-water recharge from streamflow in the Fortymile Wash watershed will contribute to regional ground-water studies. Regional ground-water studies are an important component in the studies evaluating the ground-waterflow system as a barrier to the potential migration of radionuclides from the potential underground high-level nuclear waste repository. Knowledge gained in understanding the ground-water recharge mechanisms and pathways in the Pah Canyon area, which is 10 km to the northeast of Yucca Mountain, may transfer to Yucca site specific studies. The current data collection network in Fortymile Canyon does not permit quantification of ground-water recharge, however a qualitative understanding of ground-water recharge was developed from these data.

Ground-waterflow in glacial sediments and bedrock at Picatinny Arsenal, N.J., was simulated by use of a three-dimensional finite-difference ground- water-flow model. The modeled area includes a 4.3-square-mile area that extends from Picatinny Lake to the Rockaway River. Most of the study area is bounded by the natural hydrologic boundaries of the ground-water system. eophysical logs, lithologic logs, particle-size data, and core data from selected wells and surface geophysical data were analyzed to define the hydrogeologic framework. Hydrogeologic sections and thickness maps define six permeable and three low-permeability layers that are represented in the model as aquifers and confining units, respectively. Hydrologic data incorporated in the model include a rate of recharge from precipitation of 22 inches per year, estimated from long-term precipitation records and estimates of evapotranspiration. Additional recharge from infiltration along valleys was estimated from measured discharge of springs along the adjacent valley walls and from estimates of runoff from upland drainage that flows to the valley floor. Horizontal and vertical hydraulic conductivities of permeable and low-permeability layers were estimated from examination of aquifer-test data, gamma-ray logs, borehole cuttings, and previously published data. Horizontal hydraulic conductivities in glacial sediments range from 10 to 380 feet per day. Vertical hydraulic conductivities of the low-permeability layers range from 0.01 to 0.7 feet per day. The model was calibrated by simulating steady-state conditions during 1989-93 and by closely matching simulated and measured ground-water levels, vertical ground-water-head differences, and streamflow gain and loss. Simulated steady-state potentiometric- surface maps produced for the six permeable layers indicate that ground water in the unconfined material within Picatinny Arsenal flows predominantly toward the center of the valley, where it discharges to Green

The recharge location for many springs is unknown because they can be sourced from proximal, shallow, atmospheric sources or long-traveled, deep, regional aquifers. The stable isotope ((18) O and (2) H) geochemistry of springs water can provide cost-effective indications of relative flow path distance without the expense of drilling boreholes, conducting geophysical studies, or building groundwaterflow models. Locally sourced springs generally have an isotopic signature similar to local precipitation for that region and elevation. Springs with a very different isotopic composition than local meteoric inputs likely have non-local recharge, representing a regional source. We tested this local vs. regional flow derived hypothesis with data from a new, large springs isotopic database from studies across Western North America in Arizona, Nevada, and Alberta. The combination of location-specific precipitation data with stable isotopic groundwater data provides an effective method for flow path determination at springs. We found springs in Arizona issue from a mix of regional and local recharge sources. These springs have a weak elevation trend across 1588 m of elevation where higher elevation springs are only slightly more depleted than low elevation springs with a δ(18) O variation of 5.9‰. Springs sampled in Nevada showed a strong elevation-isotope relationship with high-elevation sites discharging depleted waters and lower elevation springs issuing enriched waters; only a 2.6‰ difference exists in (18) O values over an elevation range of more than 1500 m. Alberta's springs are mostly sourced from local flow systems and show a moderate elevation trend of 1200 m, but the largest range in δ(18) O, 7.1‰.

To accelerate the groundwaterflow simulation process, this paper reports our work on developing an efficient parallel simulator through rebuilding the well-known software MODFLOW on JASMIN (J Adaptive Structured Meshes applications Infrastructure). The rebuilding process is achieved by designing patch-based data structure and parallel algorithms as well as adding slight modifications to the compute flow and subroutines in MODFLOW. Both the memory requirements and computing efforts are distributed among all processors; and to reduce communication cost, data transfers are batched and conveniently handled by adding ghost nodes to each patch. To further improve performance, constant-head/inactive cells are tagged and neglected during the linear solving process and an efficient load balancing strategy is presented. The accuracy and efficiency are demonstrated through modeling three scenarios: The first application is a field flow problem located at Yanming Lake in China to help design reasonable quantity of groundwater exploitation. Desirable numerical accuracy and significant performance enhancement are obtained. Typically, the tagged program with load balancing strategy running on 40 cores is six times faster than the fastest MICCG-based MODFLOW program. The second test is simulating flow in a highly heterogeneous aquifer. The AMG-based JASMIN program running on 40 cores is nine times faster than the GMG-based MODFLOW program. The third test is a simplified transient flow problem with the order of tens of millions of cells to examine the scalability. Compared to 32 cores, parallel efficiency of 77 and 68% are obtained on 512 and 1024 cores, respectively, which indicates impressive scalability.

PHWAT is a new model that couples a geochemical reaction model (PHREEQC-2) with a density-dependent groundwaterflow and solute transport model (SEAWAT) using the split-operator approach. PHWAT was developed to simulate multi-component reactive transport in variable density groundwaterflow. Fluid density in PHWAT depends not on only the concentration of a single species as in SEAWAT, but also the concentrations of other dissolved chemicals that can be subject to reactive processes. Simulation results of PHWAT and PHREEQC-2 were compared in their predictions of effluent concentration from a column experiment. Both models produced identical results, showing that PHWAT has correctly coupled the sub-packages. PHWAT was then applied to the simulation of a tank experiment in which seawater intrusion was accompanied by cation exchange. The density dependence of the intrusion and the snow-plough effect in the breakthrough curves were reflected in the model simulations, which were in good agreement with the measured breakthrough data. Comparison simulations that, in turn, excluded density effects and reactions allowed us to quantify the marked effect of ignoring these processes. Next, we explored numerical issues involved in the practical application of PHWAT using the example of a dense plume flowing into a tank containing fresh water. It was shown that PHWAT could model physically unstable flow and that numerical instabilities were suppressed. Physical instability developed in the model in accordance with the increase of the modified Rayleigh number for density-dependent flow, in agreement with previous research. ?? 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

As a part of the license application for a final repository for spent nuclear fuel at Forsmark, the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) has undertaken a series of groundwaterflow modelling studies. These represent time periods with different hydraulic conditions and the simulations carried out contribute to the overall evaluation of the repository design and long-term radiological safety. The groundwaterflow modelling study reported here comprises a coupled thermal-hydraulic-chemical (T-H-C) analysis of periods with periglacial and glacial climate conditions. Hydraulic-mechanical (H-M) issues are also handled but no coupled flow modelling is done. The objective of the report is to provide bounding hydrogeological estimates at different stages during glaciation and deglaciation of a glacial cycle for subsequent use in safety assessment applications within SKB's project SR-Site. Three cases with different climate conditions are analysed here: (i) Temperate case, (ii) Glacial case without permafrost, and (iii) Glacial case with permafrost. The glacial periods are transient and encompass approximately 19,000 years. The simulation results comprise residual fluid pressures, Darcy fluxes, and water salinities, as well as advective transport performance measures obtained by particle tracking such as flow path lengths, travel times and flow-related transport resistances. The modelling is accompanied by a sensitivity study that addresses the impact of the following matters: the direction of the ice sheet advance, the speed of the ice sheet margin, the bedrock hydraulic and transport properties, the temperature at the ice-subsurface interface close to the ice sheet margin, and the initial hydrochemical conditions.

Karst aquifers exhibit a dual flow system characterized by interacting conduit and matrix domains. This study evaluated the coupled continuum pipe-flow framework for modeling karst groundwaterflow in the Madison aquifer of western South Dakota (USA). Coupled conduit and matrix flow was simulated within a regional finite-difference model over a 10-year transient period. An existing equivalent porous medium (EPM) model was modified to include major conduit networks whose locations were constrained by dye-tracing data and environmental tracer analysis. Model calibration data included measured hydraulic heads at observation wells and estimates of discharge at four karst springs. Relative to the EPM model, the match to observation well hydraulic heads was substantially improved with the addition of conduits. The inclusion of conduit flow allowed for a simpler hydraulic conductivity distribution in the matrix continuum. Two of the high-conductivity zones in the EPM model, which were required to indirectly simulate the effects of conduits, were eliminated from the new model. This work demonstrates the utility of the coupled continuum pipe-flow method and illustrates how karst aquifer model parameterization is dependent on the physical processes that are simulated.

The urbanization of central Florida has progressed substantially in recent decades, and the total population in Lake, Orange, Osceola, Polk, and Seminole Counties more than quadrupled from 1960 to 2010. The Floridan aquifer system is the primary source of water for potable, industrial, and agricultural purposes in central Florida. Despite increases in groundwater withdrawals to meet the demand of population growth, recharge derived by infiltration of rainfall in the well-drained karst terrain of central Florida is the largest component of the long-term water balance of the Floridan aquifer system. To complement existing physics-based groundwaterflow models, artificial neural networks and other data-mining techniques were used to simulate historical lake water level, groundwater level, and spring flow at sites throughout the area. Historical data were examined using descriptive statistics, cluster analysis, and other exploratory analysis techniques to assess their suitability for more intensive data-mining analysis. Linear trend analyses of meteorological data collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration at 21 sites indicate 67 percent of sites exhibited upward trends in air temperature over at least a 45-year period of record, whereas 76 percent exhibited downward trends in rainfall over at least a 95-year period of record. Likewise, linear trend analyses of hydrologic response data, which have varied periods of record ranging in length from 10 to 79 years, indicate that water levels in lakes (307 sites) were about evenly split between upward and downward trends, whereas water levels in 69 percent of wells (out of 455 sites) and flows in 68 percent of springs (out of 19 sites) exhibited downward trends. Total groundwater use in the study area increased from about 250 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) in 1958 to about 590 Mgal/d in 1980 and remained relatively stable from 1981 to 2008, with a minimum of 559 Mgal/d in 1994 and a maximum of 773

The High Plains aquifer is a nationally important water resource underlying about 175,000 square miles in parts of eight states: Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. Droughts across much of the Northern High Plains from 2001 to 2007 have combined with recent (2004) legislative mandates to elevate concerns regarding future availability of groundwater and the need for additional information to support science-based water-resource management. To address these needs, the U.S. Geological Survey began the High Plains Groundwater Availability Study to provide a tool for water-resource managers and other stakeholders to assess the status and availability of groundwater resources.A transient groundwater-flow model was constructed using the U.S. Geological Survey modular three-dimensional finite-difference groundwater-flow model with Newton-Rhapson solver (MODFLOW–NWT). The model uses an orthogonal grid of 565 rows and 795 columns, and each grid cell measures 3,281 feet per side, with one variably thick vertical layer, simulated as unconfined. Groundwaterflow was simulated for two distinct periods: (1) the period before substantial groundwater withdrawals, or before about 1940, and (2) the period of increasing groundwater withdrawals from May 1940 through April 2009. A soil-water-balance model was used to estimate recharge from precipitation and groundwater withdrawals for irrigation. The soil-water-balance model uses spatially distributed soil and landscape properties with daily weather data and estimated historical land-cover maps to calculate spatial and temporal variations in potential recharge. Mean annual recharge estimated for 1940–49, early in the history of groundwater development, and 2000–2009, late in the history of groundwater development, was 3.3 and 3.5 inches per year, respectively.Primary model calibration was completed using statistical techniques through parameter estimation using the parameter

Distributive numerical simulations are an effective, process-based method for predicting groundwater resources and quality. They are based on conceptual hydrogeological models that characterize the properties of the catchment area and aquifer. Karst systems play an important role in water supply worldwide. Conceptual models are however difficult to build because of the highly developed heterogeneity of the systems. The geometry and properties of highly conductive karst conduits are generally unknown and difficult to characterize with field experiments. Due to these uncertainties numerical models of karst areas usually cannot simulate the hydraulic head distribution in the area, spring discharge and tracer breakthrough curves simultaneously on catchment scale. Especially in complex hydrogeological systems, this approach would reduce model ambiguity, which is prerequisite to predict groundwater resources and pollution risks. In this work, a distributive numerical groundwaterflow and transport model was built for a highly heterogeneous karst aquifer in south-western Germany. For this aim, a solute transport interface for one-dimensional pipes was implemented in the software Comsol Multiphysics® and coupled to the standard three-dimensional solute transport interface for domains. The model was calibrated and hydraulic parameters could be obtained. The simulation was matched to the steady-state hydraulic head distribution in the model area, the spring discharge of several springs and the transport velocities of two tracer tests. Furthermore, other measured parameters such as hydraulic conductivity of the fissured matrix and the maximal karst conduit volume were available for model calibration. Parameter studies were performed for several karst conduit geometries to analyze their influence in a large-scale heterogeneous karst system. Results show that it is not only possible to derive a consistent flow and transport model for a 150 km2 karst area to be employed as a

The main objective of this study is to assess the role of known and unknown hydrogeological conditions for the present-day distribution of saline groundwater at the Simpevarp and Laxemar sites. An improved understanding of the paleo-hydrogeology is necessary in order to gain credibility for the Site Descriptive Model in general and the Site Hydrogeological Description in particular. This is to serve as a basis for describing the present hydrogeological conditions as well as predictions of future hydrogeological conditions. This objective implies a testing of: geometrical alternatives in the structural geology and bedrock fracturing, variants in the initial and boundary conditions, and parameter uncertainties (i.e. uncertainties in the hydraulic property assignment). This testing is necessary in order to evaluate the impact on the groundwaterflow field of the specified components and to promote proposals of further investigations of the hydrogeological conditions at the site. The general methodology for modelling transient salt transport and groundwaterflow using CONNECTFLOW that was developed for Forsmark has been applied successfully also for Simpevarp. Because of time constraints only a key set of variants were performed that focussed on the influences of DFN model parameters, the kinematic porosity, and the initial condition. Salinity data in deep boreholes available at the time of the project was too limited to allow a good calibration exercise. However, the model predictions are compared with the available data from KLX01 and KLX02 below. Once more salinity data is available it may be possible to draw more definite conclusions based on the differences between variants. At the moment though the differences should just be used understand the sensitivity of the models to various input parameters.

Intermittent streams provide important habitat for aquatic species, including endangered salmonid fishes, but during prolonged dry periods may become depleted in dissolved oxygen (DO). The rate of depletion and the consequent length of time a pool remains habitable depend on DO and carbon concentrations in groundwater and hyporheic flow, and within-pool metabolic rates. We performed repeat surveys, habitat characterization, and ecohydrologic sampling on two intermittent tributaries of Salmon Creek (Sonoma Co., CA) to elucidate controls on salmonid over-summer survival at the pool scale. Pools exhibited heterogeneity within and across stream reaches in salmonid recruitment and survival during the summer dry period. In classification tree analysis, high conductivity (>310 mS/cm) and low DO (concentration. To distinguish between surface, hyporheic, and groundwater contributions, we measured dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration and fluorescence excitation-emission matrices (EEMs), radon (222Rn), and stable isotopes (18O and D) in pools, hyporheic flow, and wells and springs in local aquifers. Radon concentrations in pools ranged from 1.5-2.3 Bq/l, 3-4 orders of magnitude higher than expected for water in equilibrium with air, suggesting substantial groundwater inflow. We developed a five-component PARAFAC model from the EEMs and used with the isotope data to perform an end-member mixing analysis to track water sources and flowpaths. These analyses suggested high separability among groundwaters from aquifers separated by faults and between groundwater and surface water, with groundwater of different age and flowpath length discharging to different pools. Pools with shallow groundwater or hyporheic flow sustained DO concentrations above the threshold for salmonid survival, with shallow groundwater unexpectedly acting as a source of DO to the stream. These inflows were further essential for inhibiting stagnation and promoting reaeration across the air

Since 1962, all United States nuclear tests have been conducted underground. A consequence of this testing has been the deposition of large amounts of radioactive materials in the subsurface, sometimes in direct contact with groundwater. The majority of this testing occurred on the Nevada Test Site, but a limited number of experiments were conducted in other locations. One of these is the subject of this report, the Project Shoal Area (PSA), located about 50 km southeast of Fallon, Nevada. The Shoal test consisted of a 12-kiloton-yield nuclear detonation which occurred on October 26, 1963. Project Shoal was part of studies to enhance seismic detection of underground nuclear tests, in particular, in active earthquake areas. Characterization of groundwater contamination at the Project Shoal Area is being conducted by the US Department of Energy (DOE) under the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO) with the State of Nevada Department of Environmental Protection and the US Department of Defense (DOD). This order prescribes a Corrective Action Strategy (Appendix VI), which, as applied to underground nuclear tests, involves preparing a Corrective Action Investigation Plan (CAIP), Corrective Action Decision Document (CADD), Corrective Action Plan, and Closure Report. The scope of the CAIP is flow and transport modeling to establish contaminant boundaries that are protective of human health and the environment. This interim report describes the current status of the flow and transport modeling for the PSA.

Quantitative evaluation of management strategies for long-term supply of safe groundwater for drinking from the Bengal Basin aquifer (India and Bangladesh) requires estimation of the large-scale hydrogeologic properties that control flow. The Basin consists of a stratified, heterogeneous sequence of sediments with aquitards that may separate aquifers locally, but evidence does not support existence of regional confining units. Considered at a large scale, the Basin may be aptly described as a single aquifer with higher horizontal than vertical hydraulic conductivity. Though data are sparse, estimation of regional-scale aquifer properties is possible from three existing data types: hydraulic heads, 14C concentrations, and driller logs. Estimation is carried out with inverse groundwater modeling using measured heads, by model calibration using estimated water ages based on 14C, and by statistical analysis of driller logs. Similar estimates of hydraulic conductivities result from all three data types; a resulting typical value of vertical anisotropy (ratio of horizontal to vertical conductivity) is 104. The vertical anisotropy estimate is supported by simulation of flow through geostatistical fields consistent with driller log data. The high estimated value of vertical anisotropy in hydraulic conductivity indicates that even disconnected aquitards, if numerous, can strongly control the equivalent hydraulic parameters of an aquifer system. ?? US Government 2009.

Modelling the flow of groundwater within a network of fractures is perhaps one of the most difficult exercises within the field of geohydrology. This physical problem has attracted the attention of several scientists across the globe. Already two different types of differentiations have been used to attempt modelling this problem including the classical and the fractional differentiation. In this paper, we employed the most recent concept of differentiation based on the non-local and non-singular kernel called the generalized Mittag-Leffler function, to reshape the model of groundwater fractal flow. We presented the existence of positive solution of the new model. Using the fixed-point approach, we established the uniqueness of the positive solution. We solve the new model with three different numerical schemes including implicit, explicit and Crank-Nicholson numerical methods. Experimental data collected from four constant discharge tests conducted in a typical fractured crystalline rock aquifer of the Northern Limb (Bushveld Complex) in the Limpopo Province (South Africa) are compared with the numerical solutions. It is worth noting that the four boreholes (BPAC1, BPAC2, BPAC3, and BPAC4) are located on Faults.

Underground atomic weapons testing at the Nevada Test Site introduced numerous radionuclides that may be used to characterize subsurface hydrologic transport processes in arid climates. Beginning in 1975, groundwater adjacent to the CAMBRIC test, conducted beneath Frenchman Flat in 1965, was pumped steadily for 16 years to elicit experimental information on the migration of residual radioactivity through the saturated zone. Radionuclides in the pumping well effluent, including tritium, {sup 36}Cl and {sup 85}Kr, were extensively monitored prior to their discharge into an unlined ditch flowing toward a dry lake bed over a kilometer away. We have applied a large (6km x 6km x 1km) and highly resolved (4 m) variably saturated flow model to investigate infiltration into the 220-m vadose zone underlying the ditch as well as subsequent groundwater recharge and well recirculation processes. A Lagrangian particle-tracking model has been used to compute flow pathways and estimate radionuclide travel and residence times in various parts of the system based upon the flow model. Results are consistent with rising tritium levels observed in a monitoring well since 1991. They suggest that recirculation of the ditch effluent through the vadose zone, into groundwater, and back to the test cavity and pumping well are responsible for diluted, tritium-based groundwater age dates observed in 2000 at these locations, as well as for increased tailing effects observed in the pumping well elution curves. Altogether, the models and experimental observations provide an improved basis to understand both historical and future movements of test-related radionuclides in groundwater near CAMBRIC.

The Leadville mining district is historically one of the most heavily mined regions in the world producing large quantities of gold, silver, lead, zinc, copper, and manganese since the 1860s. A multidisciplinary investigation was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, to characterize large-scale groundwaterflow in a 13 square-kilometer region encompassing the Canterbury Tunnel and the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel near Leadville, Colorado. The primary objective of the investigation was to evaluate whether a substantial hydraulic connection is present between the Canterbury Tunnel and Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel for current (2008) hydrologic conditions. Altitude in the Leadville area ranges from about 3,018 m (9,900 ft) along the Arkansas River valley to about 4,270 m (14,000 ft) along the Continental Divide east of Leadville, and the high altitude of the area results in a moderate subpolar climate. Winter precipitation as snow was about three times greater than summer precipitation as rain, and in general, both winter and summer precipitation were greatest at higher altitudes. Winter and summer precipitation have increased since 2002 coinciding with the observed water-level rise near the Leadville Mine Drainage Tunnel that began in 2003. The weather patterns and hydrology exhibit strong seasonality with an annual cycle of cold winters with large snowfall, followed by spring snowmelt, runoff, and recharge (high-flow) conditions, and then base-flow (low-flow) conditions in the fall prior to the next winter. Groundwater occurs in the Paleozoic and Precambrian fractured-rock aquifers and in a Quaternary alluvial aquifer along the East Fork Arkansas River, and groundwater levels also exhibit seasonal, although delayed, patterns in response to the annual hydrologic cycle. A three-dimensional digital representation of the extensively faulted bedrock was developed and a geophysical direct

Full Text Available Problem statement: The interest in early hydrogeological studies was the aquifer unit, as it is the physical media that stores and permits groundwater transfers from the recharge zone to the discharge zone, making groundwater available to boreholes for water extraction. Approach: Recently, the aquifer concept has been complemented by the groundwaterflow system theory, where groundwater may be defined by local, intermediate and regional flow systems. This implies that groundwater may travel from one aquifer unit to another aquifer unit (or more located above or below the former. Water in a local flow system takes months or several years to travel from the recharge to the discharge zone. These flows usually transfer the best natural quality water, so a reduction in precipitation would lessen recharge and diminish stored water, making them more vulnerable to contamination and variability in climatic conditions. Thus, there is a need to define local flows and to enhance actions to protect them from contamination and inefficient extraction. Results: In contrast to local flows, intermediate and regional flows travel from a region, or country, into another, with their recharge processes usually taking place in a zone located far away from the discharge zone (natural or by boreholes. There is a need of groundwaterflow systems evaluation by means of an integrated wide system-view analysis of partial evidence represented by surface (soil and vegetation covers as well as hydraulic, isotopic and chemical groundwater characterization in the related geological media where the depth of actual basement rock is paramount as well as discharge areas. The flow system definition may assist in extraction management strategies to control related issues as subsidence, obtained the water quality change, desiccation of springs and water bodies, soil erosion, flooding response, contamination processes in recharge areas, among others; many of which could be efficiently

Results are presented of a detailed study into the vadose zone and shallow water table hydrodynamics of a fieldsite in Shropshire, UK. Tensiometry reveals that the loamy sand topsoil wets up via macropore flow and subsequent redistribution of moisture into the soil matrix. However, recharge does not occur until near-positive pressures are achieved at the top of the glaciofluvial outwash material that underlies the topsoil, about 1 m above the water table. Once this occurs, very rapid water table rises follow. This threshold behaviour is attributed to the vertical discontinuity in the macropore system due to seasonal ploughing of the topsoil, and a lower permeability plough/iron pan restricting matrix flow between the topsoil and the lower outwash deposits. Thus, although the wetting process in the topsoil is highly complex, a soil moisture balance model (SMBM) is shown to be skilful in predicting the initiation of preferential flow from the base of the topsoil into the lower outwash horizon. The rapidity of the response at the water table suggests that Stokes type film flow rather than Richards type capillarity dominated flow is occurring and this conjecture is tested using a range of numerical models. A variation of the source-responsive model proposed by Nimmo (2010) is shown to reproduce the observed water table dynamics well, when linked to a SMBM as the source of recharge from the topsoil. The results reveal new insights into preferential flow processes in cultivated soils. If the conceptual and numerical models can be shown to be transferable to other ploughed soils, it promises to be a very useful and practical approach to accounting for preferential flow in studies of groundwater recharge estimation. Nimmo, J. R. (2010). Theory for Source-Responsive and Free-Surface Film Modeling of Unsaturated Flow. Vadose Zone Journal, 9, 295-306.

The Edwards-Trinity aquifer is a vital groundwater resource for agricultural, industrial, and public supply uses in the Pecos County region of western Texas. The U.S. Geological Survey completed a comprehensive, integrated analysis of available hydrogeologic data to develop a numerical groundwater-flow model of the Edwards-Trinity and related aquifers in the study area in parts of Brewster, Jeff Davis, Pecos, and Reeves Counties. The active model area covers about 3,400 square miles of the Pecos County region of Texas west of the Pecos River, and its boundaries were defined to include the saturated areas of the Edwards-Trinity aquifer. The model is a five-layer representation of the Pecos Valley, Edwards-Trinity, Dockum, and Rustler aquifers. The Pecos Valley aquifer is referred to as the alluvial layer, and the Edwards-Trinity aquifer is divided into layers representing the Edwards part of the Edwards-Trinity aquifer and the Trinity part of the Edwards-Trinity aquifer, respectively. The calibration period of the simulation extends from 1940 to 2010. Simulated hydraulic heads generally were in good agreement with observed values; 1,684 out of 2,860 (59 percent) of the simulated values were within 25 feet of the observed value. The average root mean square error value of hydraulic head for the Edwards-Trinity aquifer was 34.2 feet, which was approximately 4 percent of the average total observed change in groundwater-level altitude (groundwater level). Simulated spring flow representing Comanche Springs exhibits a pattern similar to observed spring flow. Independent geochemical modeling corroborates results of simulated groundwaterflow that indicates groundwater in the Edwards-Trinity aquifer in the Leon-Belding and Fort Stockton areas is a mixture of recharge from the Barilla and Davis Mountains and groundwater that has upwelled from the Rustler aquifer.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the City of Houston, began a study in 2007 to determine concentrations, spatial extent, and associated geochemical conditions that might be conducive for mobility and transport of selected naturally occurring trace elements and radionuclides in the Gulf Coast aquifer system in Houston, Texas. Water samples were collected from 91 municipal supply wells completed in the Evangeline and Chicot aquifers of the Gulf Coast aquifer system in northeastern, northwestern, and southwestern Houston; hereinafter referred to as northeast, northwest and southwest Houston areas. Wells were sampled in three phases: (1) 28 municipal supply wells were sampled during 2007–8, (2) 60 municipal supply wells during 2010, and (3) 3 municipal supply wells during December 2011. During each phase of sampling, samples were analyzed for major ions, selected trace elements, and radionuclides. At a subset of wells, concentrations of arsenic species and other radionuclides (carbon-14, radium-226, radium-228, radon-222, and tritium) also were analyzed. Selected physicochemical properties were measured in the field at the time each sample was collected, and oxidation-reduction potential and unfiltered sulfides also were measured at selected wells. The source-water (the raw, ambient water withdrawn from municipal supply wells prior to water treatment) samples were collected for assessment of aquifer conditions in order to provide community water-system operators information that could be important when they make decisions about which treatment processes to apply before distributing finished drinking water.

The HYDROTHERM computer program simulates multi-phase ground-waterflow and associated thermal energy transport in three dimensions. It can handle high fluid pressures, up to 1 ? 109 pascals (104 atmospheres), and high temperatures, up to 1,200 degrees Celsius. This report documents the release of Version 3, which includes various additions, modifications, and corrections that have been made to the original simulator. Primary changes to the simulator include: (1) the ability to simulate unconfined ground-waterflow, (2) a precipitation-recharge boundary condition, (3) a seepage-surface boundary condition at the land surface, (4) the removal of the limitation that a specified-pressure boundary also have a specified temperature, (5) a new iterative solver for the linear equations based on a generalized minimum-residual method, (6) the ability to use time- or depth-dependent functions for permeability, (7) the conversion of the program code to Fortran 90 to employ dynamic allocation of arrays, and (8) the incorporation of a graphical user interface (GUI) for input and output. The graphical user interface has been developed for defining a simulation, running the HYDROTHERM simulator interactively, and displaying the results. The combination of the graphical user interface and the HYDROTHERM simulator forms the HYDROTHERM INTERACTIVE (HTI) program. HTI can be used for two-dimensional simulations only. New features in Version 3 of the HYDROTHERM simulator have been verified using four test problems. Three problems come from the published literature and one problem was simulated by another partially saturated flow and thermal transport simulator. The test problems include: transient partially saturated vertical infiltration, transient one-dimensional horizontal infiltration, two-dimensional steady-state drainage with a seepage surface, and two-dimensional drainage with coupled heat transport. An example application to a hypothetical stratovolcano system with unconfined

In this study it was evaluated whether the ECOPATH with ECOSIM software could be used as a standard platform to facilitate for radioecologists to construct and study transport and accumulation of radionuclides in aquatic food webs. The evaluation was based upon: 1) a previously published food web model of carbon/carbon-14 flow for the Oeregrundsgrepen area, Baltic Sea, 2) a generic model, 3) an ECOSIM model and 4) an ECOTRACE model. The results presented clearly shows that there is great potential for a successful development of this scientific approach in the future. The original carbon flows and assumptions was easily incorporated into the ECOPATH with ECOSIM modelling environment. The carbon flows differed only negligible between the two models, except for the benthic flows, which was more accurately described in this study. Further, by using ECOPATH it was easily discovered that the growth efficiencies used in the original model was quite high, being 47% for most of the heterotrophs, which are high from an ecological point of view. However, that is probably due to differences in how the carbon flows have been estimated in the original versus the present study. It is likely, however that the carbon demand has been underestimated in the original model. The generic model was parameterised from data available through the software as well from the diets and assumptions used in the original carbon model. The use of these parameters resulted in carbon flows, which was between 0.7 to 11 times the flows estimated by the ECOPATH model. The difference was greatest for primary producers being 3.7 to 11 times the original flows. Thus, depending on the question one is addressing it was suggested that the use of generic parameters is best for making test models of carbon and radionuclideflows in ecosystems, where the data set for validation is limited. Finally, the ECOPATH and ECOSIM model was well suited to drive a C-14 flow model, such as ECOTRACER for each of the

Water resources are strongly limited in semi-arid to arid regions and groundwater constitutes often the only possibility for fresh water for the population and industry. An understanding of the hydrological processes and the estimation of magnitude of water balance parameters also includes the knowledge of processes of groundwater recharge. For the sustainable management of water resources, it is essential to estimate the potential groundwater recharge under the given climatic conditions. We would like to present the results of a hydrological model, which is based on the HRU- concept and intersected the parameters of climatic conditions, topography, geology, soil, vegetation and land use to calculate the groundwater recharge. This model was primarily developed for humid area applications and has now been adapted to the regional conditions in the semi-arid to arid region. It was quite a challenge to understand the hydrological processes in the semi-arid to arid study area and to implement those findings (e.g. routing [Schulz (in prep.)]) into the model structure. Thus we compared the existing approaches for groundwater recharge estimations (chloride mass balance [Marei et. al 2000], empirical relations such as rainfall and base flow-relation [Goldschmidt 1960; Guttman 2000; Hughes 2008; Issar 1993; Lerner 1990; De Vries et. al 2002]) with the results of our numerical model. References: De Vries, J. J., I. Simmers (2002): Groundwater recharge: an overview of processes and challenges. Hydrogeology Journal (2002) 10: 5-17. DOI 10.1007/s10040-001-0171-7. Guttman, J., 2000. Multi-Lateral Project B: Hydrogeology of the Eastern Aquifer in the Judea Hills and Jordan Valley. Mekorot Water Company, Report 468, p. 36. Hughes, A. G., M. M. Mansour, N. S. Robins (2008): Evaluation of distributed recharge in an upland semi-arid karst system: the West Bank Mountain Aquifer, Middle East. Hydrogeology Journal (2008) 16: 845-854. DOI 10.1007/s10040-008-0273-6 Issar, A. S. (1993

The purpose of this report is to develop and analyze the engineered barrier system (EBS) radionuclide transport abstraction model, consistent with Level I and Level II model validation, as identified in Technical Work Plan for: Near-Field Environment and Transport: Engineered Barrier System: Radionuclide Transport Abstraction Model Report Integration (BSC 2005 [DIRS 173617]). The EBS radionuclide transport abstraction (or EBS RT Abstraction) is the conceptual model used in the total system performance assessment (TSPA) to determine the rate of radionuclide releases from the EBS to the unsaturated zone (UZ). The EBS RT Abstraction conceptual model consists of two main components: a flow model and a transport model. Both models are developed mathematically from first principles in order to show explicitly what assumptions, simplifications, and approximations are incorporated into the models used in the TSPA. The flow model defines the pathways for water flow in the EBS and specifies how the flow rate is computed in each pathway. Input to this model includes the seepage flux into a drift. The seepage flux is potentially split by the drip shield, with some (or all) of the flux being diverted by the drip shield and some passing through breaches in the drip shield that might result from corrosion or seismic damage. The flux through drip shield breaches is potentially split by the waste package, with some (or all) of the flux being diverted by the waste package and some passing through waste package breaches that might result from corrosion or seismic damage. Neither the drip shield nor the waste package survives an igneous intrusion, so the flux splitting submodel is not used in the igneous scenario class. The flow model is validated in an independent model validation technical review. The drip shield and waste package flux splitting algorithms are developed and validated using experimental data. The transport model considers advective transport and diffusive transport

valuable for planning the location of pumping wells at a new facility. Gravity data were useful for calibration of a Modflow-NWT groundwater-flow model using the Unsaturated Zone Flow package to simulate recharge; the reduction in the posterior parameter distribution compared to the a priori estimate was substantial and similar to head data. In contrast to model-simulated head data, model-simulated gravity data were less sensitive to more distant model elements and more effective for calibration of a superposition-type model. Observed head data had a strong regional signal reflecting basin-scale conditions with only minor variation associated with individual recharge basins, and were therefore of limited usefulness for model calibration. Together, the methods developed by the study and interpretations they made possible suggest that gravity data are an effective way to better understand large-scale infiltration and groundwater movement.

A coupled groundwater-flow-modelling and vulnerability-mapping methodology for the management of karst aquifers with spatial variability is developed. The methodology takes into consideration the duality of flow and recharge in karst and introduces a simple method to integrate the effect of temporal storage in the unsaturated zone. In order to investigate the applicability of the developed methodology, simulation results are validated against available field measurement data. The criteria maps from the PaPRIKa vulnerability-mapping method are used to document the groundwaterflow model. The FEFLOW model is employed for the simulation of the saturated zone of Palaikastro-Chochlakies karst aquifer, in the island of Crete, Greece, for the hydrological years 2010-2012. The simulated water table reproduces typical karst characteristics, such as steep slopes and preferred drain axes, and is in good agreement with field observations. Selected calculated error indicators—Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), root mean squared error (RMSE) and model efficiency (E')—are within acceptable value ranges. Results indicate that different storage processes take place in different parts of the aquifer. The north-central part seems to be more sensitive to diffuse recharge, while the southern part is affected primarily by precipitation events. Sensitivity analysis is performed on the parameters of hydraulic conductivity and specific yield. The methodology is used to estimate the feasibility of artificial aquifer recharge (AAR) at the study area. Based on the developed methodology, guidelines were provided for the selection of the appropriate AAR scenario that has positive impact on the water table.

A coupled groundwater-flow-modelling and vulnerability-mapping methodology for the management of karst aquifers with spatial variability is developed. The methodology takes into consideration the duality of flow and recharge in karst and introduces a simple method to integrate the effect of temporal storage in the unsaturated zone. In order to investigate the applicability of the developed methodology, simulation results are validated against available field measurement data. The criteria maps from the PaPRIKa vulnerability-mapping method are used to document the groundwaterflow model. The FEFLOW model is employed for the simulation of the saturated zone of Palaikastro-Chochlakies karst aquifer, in the island of Crete, Greece, for the hydrological years 2010-2012. The simulated water table reproduces typical karst characteristics, such as steep slopes and preferred drain axes, and is in good agreement with field observations. Selected calculated error indicators—Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), root mean squared error (RMSE) and model efficiency (E')—are within acceptable value ranges. Results indicate that different storage processes take place in different parts of the aquifer. The north-central part seems to be more sensitive to diffuse recharge, while the southern part is affected primarily by precipitation events. Sensitivity analysis is performed on the parameters of hydraulic conductivity and specific yield. The methodology is used to estimate the feasibility of artificial aquifer recharge (AAR) at the study area. Based on the developed methodology, guidelines were provided for the selection of the appropriate AAR scenario that has positive impact on the water table.